The Petrova Curse
by Last Marauder of Five
Summary: Sequel to Snowy Day of Christmas. Stefan is hurt because Elena is dating his brother and decides to run off with Katherine on an adventure that he doesn't know why is taking place. What will happen? Steferine and Delena
1. Wandering Off

Disclaimer: Oh, how I wish I owned The Vampire Diaries! But, as I am reminded every time I write this, I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

The Petrova Curse

Chapter One- Wandering Off

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><p><strong>Author's Note: This chapter is the same as the preview on Snowy Day of Christmas.<strong>

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><p>The note felt heavy in his hands, but Stefan knew he had to do it. He had to go back to Katherine. He couldn't stay with Elena and he couldn't stand the weight of his emotions. Going back was the best option. One single teardrop running down his cheek, he placed the note on his pillow. He could only hope that Elena would understand.<p>

As footsteps approached his door, he knew he had to go. Deep down, Stefan hoped he wouldn't be fast enough, that Elena would catch him before he jumped out the window. He was afraid. Once he turned off his emotions, he would quite possibly kill people, torture them simply because it suited his needs and do several other things he considered condemnable. But the pain was so great he couldn't keep himself from doing the one thing that would make it stop. He flipped the switch.

His last thought before jumping out the window was that he needed to find Katherine. Before he ran away, she had been staying in a small town just outside of Mystic Falls. That was the first place he would search. As he made his way to the little hotel, the only one in the city, he wondered what was going on with Elena. He had heard her crying. Even with his emotions turned off, he could still feel for her, though not with the same intensity. He would never be completely cold-blooded, it didn't matter how hard he tried. He hadn't lied when he wrote that he would still love her even with his emotions switch flipped off. The only way for him to stop loving her was compulsion.

In the distance, he could make out the slender shape of Katherine.

- It took you long enough to come back. - She commented, a smile playing on her lips.

- Katherine. - Stefan acknowledged.

- Come on, we have a long trip ahead of us. - She motioned for him to follow her.

As they made their way to the car, which Katherine had stolen for them, Stefan couldn't help but wonder what she was up to that time. She still hadn't shared her master plan with him, probably knowing that his emotional state was unstable even when he had the switch turned off. Katherine was no fool. She knew when and how to play her cards. All what Stefan knew was that she had a quarrel with the Originals, and whenever she had a quarrel with someone this person better look over their shoulders. She wasn't going to quit easily.

They sped off the driveway, the engines humming soothingly.

- Where are we going? - Stefan asked, resting his elbow on the door.

- New York. - She smiled wickedly.

The landscape outside his window soon got boring and he turned his attention back to Katherine. He couldn't help but appreciate how much she looked like Elena and, when she wanted, how much she sounded like Elena. He almost sighed. He would never be rid of his humanity, never. All he could do was pretend and try to dim the light of his emotions. But he would always be a little human.


	2. New York

Disclaimer: Just like I didn't own The Vampire Diaries when I was writing Snowy Day of Christmas, I don't own it now.

Chapter Two- New York

It wasn't hard for Stefan to guess when they had gotten to New York. The noise of car horns pierced his eardrums and the smell of smoke burned through his nostrils. The last time he had been to the metropolis it wasn't half as big or half as noisy. It was almost unrecognizable.

He glanced over at Katherine, wondering what she planned on doing in New York. He knew that she preferred to have everything planned before acting, which was wise given the situations she put herself into. He could only hope that he wasn't being dragged into one of them as well. He almost shook his head. He was the Ripper. There was no reason for him to be afraid. He knew no fear. But there he was, his emotions' switch flipped off, afraid of a quest. He wished his feelings could go back to the way they were when he was under Klaus' compulsion. Though he couldn't feel the pain of being replaced by his brother, he could still feel his most primal emotions. Hate, fear, anger... he knew soon the pain would come and there was nothing he could about it.

But he would cross that bridge when he came to it. At that time, the best was for him to concentrate on what Katherine was going to do and what she expected him to do. There was no point on dwelling on the inevitable future.

He glanced at his partner, expecting her to say something, to tell him what he was supposed to do. She just sighed. Stefan was starting to suspect that he had been wrong, that what she planned on doing had nothing to do with the Originals. He would have to wait and see how things played out.

Katherine pulled up in front of a fancy hotel, a smile starting to appear on her lips. Whenever she had to travel, she would rather do it with style. If it was necessary, Stefan knew she would lay low without a word of complaint, so he knew that the mission he was in wasn't as dangerous as he had initially thought. He mentally cursed himself. He was doing it again. He was worrying about things that should no longer bother him.

As he climbed out of the car, he realized that Katherine hadn't said a word during the whole eight hours long travel. That was unusual. Though she wasn't the most chatty person in the world, she liked talk and disturb people, especially Stefan. There was something on her mind, something that was bothering her more than anything he had ever seen or heard of. For a second, he froze. Not even with all his strength diverted to blocking his feelings away he could keep himself from being afraid of something that made Katherine nervous. Whatever it was, it was bound to be big.

He knew he had to be more careful. If his partner ever found out the how unstable his mind was, he would never be able to help her out with her mission, and he was carefully intrigued. He didn't want to get himself killed in the middle of whatever mess Katherine was getting into, but he needed to know what was going on. He was perfectly aware that she would much rather send him into danger than get in it herself and that he would probably have to do the dirty work. As long as there was no unnecessary danger, he was willing to help.

- Stefan? - She called, looking at him with curious eyes.

His head snapped in her direction, his eyes lighting up for a second as he thought he had seen Elena, not Katherine. He mentally scolded himself. He had to keep a shorter leash on his emotions.

- Where are going? - Asked Stefan, trying to take his mind away from Elena

- As amazing as that may sound, to the library. - She informed him.


	3. Katerina Petrova

Disclaimer: Once upon a time there was a person who owned The Vampire Diaries, and this person is the only one who ever owned it. That person wasn't me. I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Three- Katerina Petrova

Stefan couldn't begin to imagine what they were doing in a library. He knew Katherine. She didn't recruit people to help her with research. The whole plotting and scheming were her thing, she wouldn't share it with anyone. But still, there they were, standing in a giant library, the smell of dusty old books invading their nostrils.

- What should I look for? - Stefan asked his companion.

She took her time to answer, several streaks of emotions crossing her face. Fear, anger, annoyance and some others Stefan couldn't identify, all fighting to get past the walls she built to keep them in. He could see her internal struggle to keep them in, the war she was waging against herself. He knew what she was going through, he knew the pain of suppressing a part of yourself, especially a part as primal and instinctive as emotions.

- Just look for anything referring to Petrova. - She instructed him, her gaze darting across the room, scanning it.

Stefan frowned. Something was going on, he was sure of that. He only wished he knew what it was. He looked around the large room, wondering where he would find a reference to Katherine's real surname. There were hundreds of stacks full of books about so many subjects Stefan couldn't remember them all. Fantasy, history, science fiction, diplomacy, all jumbled up on a labyrinth of shelves. Stefan smiled as he finally found what he looking for. Myths. The Petrova name wasn't a myth, but anything related to it that would catch Katherine's attention was bound to be.

Stefan crept into the session, his eyes scanning the books for a suspicious title. Finally, after hours of seemingly pointless searching, he found something that caught his eyes. Amongst many regional mythology books, there was one named "Bulgarian Curses and Spells". Stefan picked the book up, coughing as a cloud of dust hit his nose. He considered bringing it directly to Katherine but, if there wasn't anything of value in it, she would be very annoyed and he knew better than to annoy her.

He opened the book's leather cover carefully, sneezing as more dust flew out of it. Its first page was ripped out, leaving only a small part of it, where it was written, in a faded out ink, two single words "Katerina Petrova". Stefan gasped, sure that something was definitely going on. His first thought was whether whatever was happening would affect Elena. He cursed himself for thinking that, realizing that each second that passed his emotions slipped farther out of his grip. It was only a matter of time before the same thing that had happened on his ex-girlfriend's house happened again, only this time things could be worse. If he was taken to a hospital he would be in big trouble.

Sure that the book would interest Katherine, he brought it to her. As she stared at the two words, Stefan could have sworn he saw fear flashing on her eyes, though she quickly regained her composure.

- I know this handwriting. - She murmured so that only Stefan could hear her - It's Klaus'.

- What would he want with you? - He muttered back, a frown appearing on his face.

She didn't answer. Instead, she walked to a table and set the heavy book on it. Her eyes scanned the table of contents avidly, searching for something. Every once in a while her lips would turn up just slightly, as if she was remembering something.

- There.- She finally muttered, pointing to an item on the table.


	4. Dangerous Knowledge

Disclaimer: Why must life be so cruel? I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Four- Dangerous Knowledge

Stefan's eyes drifted to the line to which she was pointing. "The Petrova Curse". He carefully flipped the pages, afraid that they would disintegrate under his fingers. With a surprised gasp, he realized that what he was holding wasn't paper. It was parchment. The older books he had at the Boarding House were still made of parchment, but he remembered that his father had told him to be more careful with them because they were really old and would soon become antiques. He could only guess how old that book was and what was such a valuable piece of history doing at one of New York's biggest libraries.

Finally arriving at the page the summary indicated, Stefan sighed in frustration. Most of the pages about that subject had been ripped out like the book's first page. But a few words were still there, as were some of the images. As he flipped through the pictures that were left, Stefan froze. A scene had been carefully painted onto the parchment, depicting two identical girls. The image was labeled Katerina and Elena. Someone had known. Someone had known about the doppleganger.

- Great. - Katherine muttered, her eyes flashing with frustration. - I'll be in the myths' session if you need. And don't check that out of the library. Keep it with you.

Stefan was left holding the book tightly in his hands. He wasn't sure what to do. His primal instinct told him to warn Elena that something bad was coming. He knew that the book meant something, that it wasn't there by coincidence. But as he thought of her he remembered the pain. The barriers had finally broken down, allowing him to feel the pain and hurt that he had been blocking out, trying desperately to keep away from his mind. As it hit him, anger bubbled out of his grasp. He didn't want to care about Elena anymore, he didn't want to be with her any longer. She had chosen Damon, so he would be the one to protect her.

Running down the crazy labyrinth of shelves, he finally found the one he had been looking for, the myths' session. Standing there, hands on her hips, was Katherine. This time, as Stefan looked at her, he didn't see Elena. He saw the complete opposite of her.

- Katherine. - Stefan half-whispered, his eyes locked on her thin frame.

- Have you found anything? - Asked Katherine, ignoring his staring.

- No...- He replied, his eyes darting around the shelves, making sure that they were alone. - I just wanted to...

- Not now, Stefan. I'm busy. - Her voice was sterner than he had ever heard it.

That was all the proof Stefan needed that there was something wrong. Katherine never passed up a chance like the one he had just offered her. But at that moment he didn't care. All he could see was Katherine and his rage against Elena, against the woman who had crushed his heart and stomped on it as hard as she could, the girl who had chosen his brother over him, the brother that was his opposite. Like Katherine was her opposite.

He moved closer to the doppleganger, his eyes never leaving her. He could no longer see why he would ever have chosen Elena and not Katherine. He stared at her, the wonder showing in his eyes like a light. She was so different from Elena he couldn't understand how he could ever have been fooled by their appearances. They may not haven been physically different, but their personalities showed on their looks so clearly he could only have been blind not to see it before.

As Stefan reached Katherine, his lips crushed on hers. She didn't back away.


	5. Lost

Disclaimer: I stand before my keyboard and declare that I do not own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Five- Lost

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><p><strong>Author's Note: I'm really sorry for the confusion with yesterday's chapter. Well, read and review, please!<strong>

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><p>As the kiss deepened, Stefan channeled all his anger, all his pain and disappointment to it. Not only did he want Katherine as he needed her. He never wanted to let go. But he knew that there were things at stake, even though he didn't know what they were or what the stakes were.<p>

- Stefan, we have work to do. - Katherine panted as he broke the kiss.

He nodded, the memory of the trouble they might be in reappearing in his mind. There so many questions and so little answers Stefan wasn't sure he would ever be able to fully understand what was going on. He knew Katherine wouldn't tell him what she knew, and when he actually found a clue it led him to a dead end. Information seemed to come in a need-to-know basis, and he didn't need to know much yet. He was hopeful, however, that with their investigation failing miserably like it was, Katherine would need him to assist her not only as researcher but as an actual partner.

He stood in front of her, awaiting orders. He knew there was no arguing, no trying to extract information from her in any way. All he could do was to play along, do his part on the investigation, and hope that someday he would find out what was happening.

- Where's the book? - She asked, her eyes locked on his.

He could see that she wanted to continue their kiss, that she wanted to forget about the whole drama she was living, but she couldn't. The reflection of the moment they had shared could be seen in her eyes. Stefan could have sworn that, for a second, he could see the kiss through her eyes, feel what she had felt.

- Stefan? We don't have much time.

Brought back to the present, he pointed at the spot on the ground where he remembered having dropped the book. At the time, he hadn't realized how foolish letting go of the book would be. But as he tore the library apart with Katherine, he cursed himself. He had done the same mistake twice. He had allowed himself to get too carried away and, as a result, he had neglected more important things, such as the book, his only clue as to what was going on.

- It isn't here, Stefan. - Katherine said, the annoyance in her voice covering most of the frustration.

- We would have heard it if anyone came in, wouldn't we? - He asked.

Katherine sighed. Stefan could only wonder what was going on in her mind. She had seemed to put a lot of faith in that book, and when she found out that most of its text had been ripped out, she wasn't very happy, but they didn't even have the book anymore. Someone had stolen it, and this someone wasn't human. They would certainly have heard a human entering the session. Stefan may not have known what was so important about that book, but he knew that it couldn't do much good in the hands of a supernatural creature that was against them. As most of them were, it was a fair assumption that whoever had stolen the book was as well.

Stefan watched as Katherine attempted to come up with a plan, the fear that had left him as the anger bubbled out reinstating its position on his mind. After all what had happened, he was left with no choice but to trust Katherine. Without the book, she was his only chance of ever being able to investigate the new danger alone.


	6. Desperation

Disclaimer: I still don't own The Vampire Diaries. Honestly, why do I have to write this once or twice a day? It's not like I would suddenly start owning it.

Chapter Six- Desperation

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><p><em>Stefan watched as Katherine attempted to come up with a plan, the fear that had left him as the anger bubbled out reinstating its position on his mind. After all what had happened, he was left with no choice but to trust Katherine. Without the book, she was his only chance of ever being able to investigate the new danger alone.<em>

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><p>- It doesn't matter. - Katherine concluded. - The book gave us all what it had to offer.<p>

Stefan remained in silence for a while. He had no idea what he could possibly say that would make the situation better. They had no more clues, no more leads, no trail of breadcrumbs to follow. They had used up all the clues they had. He didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to fear that they were being lured to a trap. He was sure that Katherine had already thought of that, but it still creeped him out to think that they may be playing Klaus' hand.

- The book is our only lead... - She kept thinking out loud - Maybe we should chase it. But then we would be falling right into Klaus' trap. I don't think we have any other choice, though. Well, it looks like we'll have to go witch-hunting, Stefan.

He froze in shock, not being able to believe that Katherine would be so desperate, so foolish, to the point to actually throw herself into Klaus' trap. She knew better than anyone the danger that he posed. He wondered what could possibly force her to be so reckless. She never put her plots in practice unless she had at least one backup plan. As Stefan thought about the danger he had gotten himself in, his strains to keep a grip, even if small, on his emotions further failed, letting his fear become more and more apparent. There was no backing out. She wouldn't let him. He knew too much. And so he would have face Klaus.

Slowly, he nodded. He could only hope that there was more to Katherine's plan than she was letting on. She wasn't one to share to the intricate details of her carefully thought plots, but something about the way she was acting told Stefan that this time she didn't have a plan. She was just going with her gut feeling. But what scared him the most was that she was desperate enough to walk right into Klaus' lair.

- Alright. I know this one witch, Kalina, she owes me a favor. - Katherine told him, her face going somber as she spoke.

Stefan started to ask her why, but quickly shut up. He knew better than to make Katherine moody.

As they walked back to their hotel room, Stefan found it inevitable to think about what had happened earlier that day. He had actually kissed Katherine, the one single woman in the world that he should never kiss. He knew the hold she had on him. He might have had to be compelled to love her, but the memories he had weren't insignificant like he told himself. They affected him, even if he didn't notice it. But he couldn't help but feel attracted to her. He was so angry, so hurt, that he would do anything to be rid of the pain. Human blood, Katherine, it was all the same to him at the moment. He felt a single tear run down his cheek and get caught in the wind as he laughed at the irony of the situation. In 1864, he had been Katherine's love, her favorite puppet. And Stefan was the one dumped by Elena, the sweeter, gentler and more passionate of the dopplegangers. He supposed he couldn't have them both. It was only fair to his brother.

He didn't even notice where they were. The world was no more than a blur to him, a background image. Stefan halted as Katherine stopped on her tracks. It took a second for him to understand what was wrong, but as the smell of vervain filled his nose, Stefan realized why they couldn't proceed.

- It was a trap. - Katherine muttered, coughing as the herb made its way down her throat.


	7. Alone

Disclaimer: Once again I must remind you, who probably don't need to be reminded, that I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Seven- Alone

Spots danced before Stefan's vision. He didn't understand how anyone could have known where they meant to go. Out of all the witches in New York, someone knew that they were going to that one. He struggled to stay awake, but his eyelids kept getting heavier and heavier as more vervain infiltrated his body. He felt himself slowly and painfully drifting to sleep. In a way, he wanted to pass out, he wanted the pain to stop, but he knew he had to fight it with all his strength. He fell to his knees, low grunts of pain escaping his mouth. Beside him, he could feel Katherine falling. His vision finally blacked out and his conscience slipped away.

The first thing Stefan noticed when he regained his senses was that he was alone. He couldn't feel Katherine's steady aura of control anywhere. For a second, he couldn't think. He needed to know if she was okay. Fear arose within him, but it wasn't fear for his life. It was for Katherine's. He grunted in exasperation at himself. He wanted to keep his emotions out of his conscious mind, but doing so was getting harder by the minute, and weakened by the vervain it was almost impossible.

He glanced around the room, hoping to recognize the place. Stefan had spent a long time in New York and he knew a good part of the older and most important buildings, but he definitely didn't know that one. It looked like an old cottage, the kind that can be found in abandoned rural areas. Groaning in frustration, Stefan tried to get up, ignoring the pain that climbed up his spine as he shifted positions. To his surprise, he wasn't tied down. He stumbled around the room and, to his great surprise, he found a blood bag on a table.

Suspicious but too thirsty to care, Stefan sank his fangs on the plastic and drained the bag, enjoying the red, refreshing liquid down to its last drop. Finally being able to think, he wondered why he was still alive, why they hadn't been captured and tortured for information. Maybe, he reasoned, they hadn't been attacked by an Original. He could only hope. His last experience with Klaus had been less than enjoyable.

As he started to get up from the floor, the door creaked open. The clarity that came from the outside camouflaged the slender frame that walked in, making it impossible for Stefan to make out who it was.

- Hello, Stefan. I believe Katherine told you about me. I'm Kalina. - She said.

He didn't feel that it was safe to answer, still suspecting a trick. Just because she knew that his name was Stefan and that they were looking for a girl called Kalina didn't mean that she really was the witch. His mind flashed with images of the mysterious girl interrogating Katherine while he slept the vervain poisoning off, peacefully. He wished he knew something about the witch, something that she wouldn't have thought of getting from Katherine so that he could know if it was safe to trust her or not. He hadn't been tied down and he had received a blood bag, which were points in the girl's favor. But he knew he couldn't trust her, not before he had more conclusive clues.

- I see you already drank the blood bag. I believe it was satisfactory? - The girl insisted.

But Stefan wouldn't say a word. In his days as the Ripper, he had learned to trust his gut feeling, and it was saying that that girl couldn't be trusted. He hoped she kept trying to get to him, trying to convince him that she was Kalina so that he could catch her on some lie or actually be convinced that she was the witch they were looking for. He sighed, ready to hear what she had to say and remain silent.


	8. Kalina

Disclaimer: For the second time this year, I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Eight- Kalina

The sound of the girl's voice was starting to annoy Stefan. Nothing of what she said helped him discover her identity in any way, so hearing her was absolutely pointless. However, he had no choice. He was trapped in the tiny room until she said otherwise. All he could do was hope that she would allow him to leave once she was done talking, but he couldn't see that happening any time soon. She didn't seem to mind the fact that Stefan hadn't said a word to her. She just kept asking everyday questions and, not even waiting for an answer, telling him things that she considered interesting facts. It didn't take too long for Stefan to quit paying attention and starting to think about Katherine. He wondered if she was okay, if she had been fed and taken care of. He couldn't help but worry about her. She might be all alone, weak and debilitated, waiting for someone to give her a blood bag or something. He knew she usually had a backup plan, but she had seemed so desperate, so ready to do anything she needed without even thinking it through that he couldn't be sure. As that thought popped up in his mind, Stefan had the urge to sprint out of the room and save her, but he knew that security had been placed to keep him from escaping. He could smell the vervain that awaited him on the other side of the door.

Stefan heard a knock on the door. His muscles tensed up and his vampire instinct kicked in. He was vulnerable, weak and trapped. If someone wanted to kill him, he had no means of defending himself. As the door cracked open, a small growl escaped his throat. He watched anxiously as a familiar form walked into the room. Katherine. His whole body relaxed, almost making him fall on the ground. She was fine. As a matter of fact, she was more than fine. She had a new change of clothes and she looked radiant and well-fed.

- Stefan, it's okay. This is Kalina, the witch I was telling you about. - She informed him - Come on, I'll get you some more blood bags. Then we have to leave. We don't have much time.

Katherine's voice made Stefan shiver. She sounded much more worried than the had before their encounter with the witch. He wondered what she had told the vampire to make her so worried. Whatever it was, he was sure that it wasn't anything good. He thought about the image on the book that depicted both the dopplegangers. He had the distinct feeling that whatever it was that was making Katherine like that would affect Elena. The jealousy and anger started to surface again and Stefan could feel himself tensing. If she was in danger, he sure that Damon would take care of her. Damon, not him. He didn't want anything to do with her.

Forcing himself back to the almost emotionless vampire, Stefan followed Katherine out of the room. Even after receiving that blood bag, his veins still ached for more blood. His healing process wasn't finished yet.

- Why did she attack us? - He questioned Katherine, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Kalina has an automatic protection against vampires. She cast a spell that identifies when one of us approaches her house and automatically triggers the release of the vervain. Let's just say that my first encounter with her wasn't exactly very good. - She explained, a smile starting to appear of her worried face as she remembered the day she met the witch.

Stefan nodded. He still wasn't willing to trust Kalina, but if Katherine thought they should work with her, he would.

- And why didn't she let me out? - Stefan asked, the suspicion showing clearly on his voice.

- She wasn't sure if she could. - She responded.

Stefan knew she was hiding something, but he didn't press her. He knew that she would only tell him if it became important for him to know it, and at that moment he was only curious. Usually, he wouldn't worry about trust with Katherine, since she seemed to trust no one other than herself, but whatever it was that they were dealing with, whatever this new mess they had gotten themselves into was, it was making Katherine reckless. She was willing to take risks and to dive into new situations without backup plans. She was becoming more like Elena.


	9. White Picket Fence

Disclaimer: I once dreamed I owned The Vampire Diaried, but then I woke up and I found out I didn't. I still don't.

Chapter Nine- White Picket Fence

Stefan couldn't believe how hungry he had been. Blood dripped down his chin as he drained the blood bags dry, relishing each taste of the red liquid he got like it was the last one in the world. Katherine patiently waited for him to finish in a corner, her eyes unfocused. Stefan felt his fangs retract as he glanced up at her and worry washed over him once again, the blood feast forgotten. He hated to see her so worried, but he knew she had her reasons, even though she wouldn't share them with him. As he felt Katherine's anxiety lingering in the air, he remembered what she had told him on their way to the blood deposit. They had to leave.

He sprinted to her side, doing his best to keep his worry from showing. The world became a blur as she led him to a car, which he could only assume she was borrowing from the witch, with or without her permission.

- Alright, I think there are a few things I have to tell you now. - Katherine started - I'm trying to get more information on the Petrova Curse, the one mentioned on that book we took from the library.

Stefan nodded. That much he had figured out by himself.

- The thing is, before we found that book I wasn't sure what generations of the Petrova lineage it affected, but now I'm sure. It's mine and Elena's. I don't know much about the curse itself, only that it may or may not kill us both and that it will happen a month before Elena's eighteenth birthday. - As she finished, she looked away.

She was still hiding something or lying, Stefan was sure of that, but he wasn't going to press it. She had already given him more information that he had expected.

The engine started humming and, before he knew it, they were speeding out of the old garage into an unknown street. He was sure that they weren't in New York anymore. The buildings were more lit up and he didn't recognize one of them. In the horizon, he couldn't see the Empire State building, only more and more lights. As he watched the plaques, he understood where they were. Las Vegas. The last place he would have thought of looking for the book. As that crossed his mind, he realized that he wasn't sure if they were still looking for the book. Stefan turned to Katherine, wondering if he should ask and deciding against it. She wasn't in the best of moods and, if he wanted to help her, he shouldn't test her limits.

They pulled up in front of a small house. Stefan was rather stunned that that little place had anything to do with their mission. It was a rather inconspicuous looking house with a white picket fence and, though it was out of place in the city of gambling and drinking, it wasn't the kind of place that he would tie to an old bulgarian curse.

Katherine motioned for Stefan to climb out of the car. He slowly got out, expecting some sort of spell to keep him from doing so, but nothing happened. He gestured to Katherine that it was safe, though he wasn't completely sure. He had learned by experience that when something looked really good it was usually hiding something. But he knew they had to risk it, so he sprinted into the house, Katherine close behind him, and together they started to search the house from rug to lamp, their vampire senses at peak capacity, looking for a trap.

- Stefan, come see this! - Katherine called from upstairs.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: I just wanted to wish you all a happy New Year! Reviews are encouraged!<strong>


	10. The Note

Disclaimer: The reason why I must write this every chapter escapes me, but I shall do it anyway. I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

The Note

He ran upstairs, trying to figure out if the tone of Katherine's voice was panicked or amused. He had picked up a little bit of both in her voice, but he didn't understand how they could fit together. She was standing in front of a dresser, looking down at a piece of paper, her eyes wide and her brow furrowed. She glanced up as she heard Stefan sprinting into the room.

- Have a look at this. - She pointed at the paper resting on the wardrobe.

He glanced at it, failing to understand why she thought a simple piece of paper was so important, but as he deciphered the hurried handwriting, he realized that Katherine was right. That piece of paper might hold the fate of their mission.

_Katerina, if you're reading this it means that Klaus is catching up with me. What the book says about the curse, it's all true. Don't trust anyone, not even your closest friends. If the curse is allowed to manifest itself there is no telling what might happen. All I really know is that it will give Klaus an advantage that we can't let him have. I hope you are still in possession of the book. It'll tell you everything you need to know about the curse, if you just know how to interpret the words. After you're done reading this, burn it. No one can know about me, no one! Watch out, Katerina. You never know who might be spying on you._

Stefan froze where he was standing. He could see what Katherine, and any sane person in the world, had read between the lines. She thought that he was spying on her. Stefan waited for the bomb to drop, for her to tackle him down and knock him out, or even stake him, but nothing happened. He looked at her to find an amused expression painted across her face.

- I need you. - She said, simply - I can't take care of everything on my own, Stefan, not when I'm so involved in the case. My judgement is impaired.

The silence hung in the air for a while. He couldn't believe that those words had come out of Katherine's mouth. She sounded so innocent, so naïve, so human. He could almost see the bulgarian girl who had gotten pregnant of an illegitimate child and later been banished to London. He was so close to knowing, even if a second, the other side of Katherine, the side had been buried for so long under thick layers of lies and pretense, that he could almost feel it. But, just as abruptly as it had started to surface, this part of her was sucked back into its prison.

Katherine shifted uncomfortably, perfectly aware that Stefan had noticed her sudden change of behavior. She shook her head slightly at herself, a small smile appearing on her lips.

- Do you remember when I told you that I sometimes allow my humanity to come back? I wasn't lying, Stefan. - She stated - But it doesn't matter. The fact is, I need your help. For once, I need help and it isn't someone to do the dirty work for me.

Stefan could feel her confusion, her emotions almost surfacing as they rebelled against her. She was under too much stress to keep repressing them for too long. Soon enough, she wouldn't be the one picking up his broken pieces, but he would be the one glueing hers together.

He allowed her some time to sort out the thoughts before asking the question that had been bothering him since he had seen the note.

- I know this handwriting. - He stated, his eyes glued on the piece of paper.

He was sure he had seen it before, but he just couldn't remember when or where. It was like a repressed memory, or a bad compulsion. He could almost see the memory, it was almost within his reach, but every time he thought he had grasped it, he came back with nothing.

- Well, you should. It's the same as the one on the book. At first, I thought it was Klaus', but it can't be. It's Elijah's.


	11. Second Time

Disclaimer: It is with great sadness that I inform you that I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Eleven- Second Time

Katherine's tone was dead serious. She wasn't kidding. The prospect of having Elijah helping them scared Stefan almost as much as the thought of Klaus becoming more powerful than he already was, but he knew that having one ally, even if not a very trustworthy one, was better than fighting the hybrid on their own. He fiddled with the note in his hands, wondering what he should so with it. He considered hiding it in his pocket, but then he thought of what could happen with Elijah if the paper fell on the enemy's hands. He might not be comfortable with the idea of receiving his aid, but they needed all the help they could get. Stefan looked up from the note to find Katherine's hand reaching out to it. Not thinking, he gave it to her. She put it inside her coat's internal pocket.

- Katherine, we have to burn it! - He exclaimed.

- And lose our only lead? I don't think so. - She replied, simply.

She wasn't one to worry about having allies. They were useful to a point, but afterwards they were expendable. She would do with them what suited her best, it didn't matter whether it cost them their lives, so if she had a lead, she would follow it without caring about what would happen to Elijah. Stefan sighed. There was nothing he could do. In a way, Katherine was right. There was no point in keeping their allies alive if they didn't have anything to guide them through their journey.

He glanced over at Katherine, hoping that she wasn't as clueless as he was, but he could just make out the lost look on her face. One phrase kept playing itself over and over in his mind "I hope you are still in possession of the book.". Though the book wouldn't help them, Stefan gathered that would need to find it anyway. The pages that they were searching for would most probably be hidden with the book.

- We have no choice but to look for the book. - Stefan stated.

- Yeah, I figured. - Sighed Katherine - I was just trying to understand why Klaus allowed us to find it.

Stefan stared at her, his eyes wide in wonder. Wearing such a troubled expression, Katherine looked a lot like Elena. Without her aura of power and arrogance, without her superior attitude, she was the perfect clone of his ex-girlfriend. He felt as his last line of defense against his emotions fell and he was forced to surrender. He could no longer ignore the fact that he was falling for her again. He thought that he might be just misplacing his feelings for Elena, that he was angry at her and so he wanted her opposite, Katherine, but he dismissed the possibilities. He was falling for her once again.

He felt himself being drawn to her like he had been so many times before. But as his emotions resurfaced, so did his sense of right and wrong. Stefan knew that kissing Katherine after spending so many months fighting against her, trying to be rid of her, was insane, but he couldn't deny his body's and his heart's wish. Maybe he had never stopped loving her. Trusting her, liking her, yes. But love took longer to deteriorate, and it had never completely faded. It only took a small spark to light the fire again and make Stefan fall the vampire for the second time.

He could faintly hear a voice in his head telling him to stop, that he shouldn't do that, that she wasn't Elena, but he didn't want to pay attention to it. He needed to believe that Katherine loved him, for the sake of his mental health. He had already lost one person he loved, he couldn't lose two.

As their lips collided once again, Stefan saw the world fade out, leaving only Katherine and him.


	12. Home

Disclaimer: Yet another disclaimer is written. How exciting... I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Twelve- Home

As they broke apart, Stefan could feel Katherine's lips turning up. It was a nice change from the stressed look she had been wearing since he came back from Elena's house. She locked her arms around his neck and glanced up, her eyes shining in happiness. She was much more like the Katherine that he had met when he was human.

- I'm sorry, Stefan, but we really don't have much time. The curse will reveal itself in less than a week. Four days, if I'm not mistaken. - She said, her smile diminishing as she remembered all the troubles life held.

Stefan nodded. He didn't want to continue their search for the book, but he knew that he had to. The future of both Petrova dopplegangers, the future of many supernatural creatures depended on their success. He sighed as Katherine unlocked her arms from his neck.

- Come on. - Katherine called him to the door.

He bit back his desire of telling her that he had had enough suicidal missions for quite a while and walked to the door. He had to think of the bigger picture. After this whole curse affair ended, he would have Katherine all for himself, with nothing to worry about, or so he hoped. Trouble seemed to follow him around, so he couldn't be sure. What he did know was that neither Katherine nor he would be able to fully relax until they had everything under control.

Stefan was led back to the car. He could only wonder where they would have to go. Probably somewhere far from Las Vegas, since Elijah didn't want to be caught. As he thought about the Original, a question popped up in his mind.

- How did you know where to find the note? - He asked Katherine.

- Kalina used a tracking spell to find a the most recent writing that matched the one on the book. I still had a tiny piece of the paper. It fell off. - She explained. - Now, though, we're on our own. I can only guess where Klaus is leaving all this stuff. If I know him, not too far away from himself. We just have to figure out where he is.

Stefan sighed. He didn't think it would be easy to find him. If it was, then it would most probably be a trap. Their only hope of success was if Klaus didn't expect such a stupid tactic and wasn't ready for them, but it was a long shot. A very long shot.

As the night was replaced by day, Stefan felt his eyelids getting heavy. He knew that Katherine had been up driving for a long time, but she wouldn't tell him where they were going and he really needed to get some sleep if she wanted him in good shape to help her with Klaus, so he snuggled up on the car's door and allowed his eyes to close. He fell asleep almost immediately.

The sound of the car's engine powering down brought him back to the real world. It felt like he had only slept a couple of minutes, but the sky was darkening once again. Stefan was rather surprised by that. Usually, he only managed to sleep one or two hours on car travels. He supposed the stress was taking its toll upon him as well. Slightly disoriented, Stefan looked around, trying to understand where he was. As he glanced around, he immediately knew where he was. He felt himself starting to panic as he gasped out the words that held so much meaning:

- Mystic Falls.


	13. Free

Disclaimer: Does anyone actually think I own The Vampire Diaries? I don't think so. Anyway, I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Thirteen- Free

He was home, but at the same time he wasn't. Stefan had grown up in Mystic Falls and the best times of his life had taken place there. However, the little city held bad memories too. It opened wounds that were too recent to stop bleeding. He understood why Katherine wouldn't tell him where they were going. Had he known, he would never have come, even though he knew she was right. It was quite probable that Klaus was in Mystic Falls. Elena was there, and she didn't know about the curse, so she had no reason to think he was there, and Katherine would go after him. He would have both dopplegangers within arm's reach.

Stefan climbed out of the car, dreading the thought of maybe seeing Elena again. He knew it would wake up some unwanted feelings. He had to keep thinking about Katherine. She was the one he loved and the one who loved him back. He couldn't fall for Elena again. She would only break his heart into a million pieces. He had learned his lesson.

- Where do you think Klaus will be? - Asked Stefan, trying to take his mind off the other doppleganger.

- I don't know. He must be laying low, since he doesn't want to alarm Elena. - Katherine replied.

There were several places in Mystic Falls where the Original could hide. He could be in a little house, renting the place from some innocent, clueless human, or he could be staying in an abandoned house. There was no way of knowing. He glanced at Katherine, hoping that she would know. After spending so many years running from him, she knew Klaus better than most people. But she didn't seem to have any ideas.

Being so close to the place where recent events had driven him back to old habits wasn't doing much good to him. In the distance, thanks to his vampire enhanced vision, he could see Elena's house. He thought of her and his brother inside it, Elena's mind far away from his. He shook his head. He knew that there was nothing he could do. Her mind was made up. There was no point in brooding. He shoved those thoughts aside, even though he knew he wouldn't be able to keep them out of his mind for too long, and started thinking about a bigger problem. Finding Klaus.

As he put his mind to work, he realized that Klaus didn't have to actually be inside Mystic Falls. There were places surrounding the city that would give a much bigger control over its inhabitants. He knew of one place that would be the perfect hideout. The place where he had camped with Katherine during Christmas season. If he knew Klaus, the Original would also see the strategic value the place offered.

- Katherine, I think I know where Klaus is. - He informed her - Do you remember that place where we stayed on Christmas?

She nodded, a smile starting to appear on her face. Stefan glanced at the car, considering the possibility of bringing it with them, but quickly dismissing it as he remembered the noise the engines made. Klaus would be able to hear it miles before they arrived.

- Shall we? - Stefan asked.

- Go right ahead. - She consented, her mood improving as things started to work out for her.

Stefan smiled. It had been years since he had felt so free. He was always trying to repress his vampire side in fear that he would become the Ripper again, but he never realized the weight of the chains. For the first time since 1864, he felt truly free.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: The new episode aired today! I haven't watched it yet, but I'll be up to date tomorrow. Anyway, please read and review!<strong>


	14. Klaus

Disclaimer: Owning The Vampire Diaries has been my dream for a quite a while, but that is all it is, and probably all what it will ever be, a dream.

Chapter Fourteen- Klaus

The strong smell of blood that filled Stefan's and Katherine's noses when they arrived at the hilltop was a clear indicator that a vampire was staying there. They had gotten to the place they were looking for, but they still didn't have any idea of how they would get the book and its missing pages. However, no planning was needed, as they hadn't even gotten a good look around before Klaus stepped out of a shadow and into their view.

- I have been waiting for you. - He said, a smile playing its way to his lips.

Katherine was speechless, and Stefan wasn't much better. They hadn't been expecting Klaus to find them so soon. They had counted on having a few minutes for planning and exploring the territory.

- Well, it seems like I crashed your little party. You aren't getting the book.

He stared at the pair for some time, a hint of regret appearing on his face. His gaze laid the longest on Katherine. Stefan strained to find some emotion on his cold and cruel facade, anything that he could use against him. He could have sworn that, for a second, he saw sadness flash in his eyes.

- You - He nodded towards Katherine - I have to keep alive. As for Stefan...

Klaus walked closer to him, a daunting grin forming on his lips, erasing any and all traces of sadness from his features. He seemed to be evaluating Stefan, as if he was choosing a horse for a racing competition.

- Maybe I can still put you to some good use, for old time's sake. - Klaus concluded.

Stefan felt his body relax. He had no wish to be tied to the Original once more, but he would take that over dying. From captivity, there was an escape, but from death, there wasn't. He had cheated it once, he didn't think he would be able to do that again. He glanced at Katherine, wondering what would be done to them. When Klaus had gotten his hands on the doppleganger, he had kept her under his compulsion, but Stefan had a feeling that he wasn't going to do that again. There was too little time for him to make sure that his new prisoners weren't on vervain.

Stefan wasn't too surprised when he found himself laying on the muddy ground. The Original was so quick neither him nor Katherine managed to dodge his expert punches. Stefan felt a splitting pain on his spinal column as he hit the soft ground and his body went limp. He couldn't move, but he could feel the vertebras in his back healing. He knew what was next. He closed his eyes, preparing for the impact. His vision went black as a stiff object hit his head.

The lights that surrounded him seemed much too bright, and the muffled sounds of steps above him were still too loud. He sat up, almost falling as he used his slightly numb hands for support. Stefan wondered where Katherine was. He couldn't make the sounds he heard, but he didn't think he could hear her voice. As his sight got used to the lights, he tried to see if he could find the other vampire, but all he could see were steel bars. A cell, he gathered. Stefan wondered how Klaus had gotten it built so quickly, but decided that he didn't want to know.

The vampire smiled as he listened to a familiar voice.

- Stefan, are you there? - Katherine called.


	15. Only Hope

Disclaimer: My only hope of ever owning The Vampire Diaries is... Oh, wait, I don't have one. I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Fifteen- Only Hope

Stefan couldn't quite believe his ears. Katherine was fine and right beside him. He wanted to speak to her, to tell her that he was there, that he was okay, but his voice wouldn't come out. He was so relived that he lost, for a second, the capacity of speech.

- Stefan? - She called again, her voice becoming more worried.

- Katherine? - He asked, a smile forming on his lips.

He couldn't hear a reply. Fear took over all his other senses. He was afraid that something had happened to the vampire, that Klaus didn't want them to talk so he had taken her away. He barely heard as a response reached his ears.

- No, Stefan. It's me, Elena.

Stefan was shocked with himself. He should have been able to tell the difference. But that was the least of his problems. If Elena was there with him, then he had no idea where Katherine was. She could have been taken far away from him so that they couldn't plan an escape. Fear started to take over again, but Stefan couldn't let it. He knew that Klaus wouldn't harm her, at least not until the curse revealed itself, but he was still afraid for Katherine. If he had doubted his love for the vampire, he didn't anymore. His mind wouldn't get off her even as he tried to concentrate, to think of what he needed to do.

The only thing that had changed from the scenario he had imagined was that Elena was in the place where Katherine should have been, so he supposed that she would play the same role. He felt his feelings for the human doppleganger stir up inside him as he thought of the danger he would be putting her in if he asked her to play a part on their scheme, but he forced himself to ignore them. She would be better off hunted by Klaus than locked up in one of his cells.

- Did you hear anything while you were in here? - Stefan asked, hoping that the Original had better things to do than to overhear the prisoner's conversations.

- I did hear something about Mystic Falls being the core of the whole curse thing... I'm not sure. - She responded.

Stefan closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. Klaus wasn't there so that he could keep an eye on Elena. He was there because he had to be, if he wanted to take advantage of the curse. For the thousandth time, he wished he could have a look at the book. Elijah had told them that all what they needed to know was in it, and Stefan believed him. It was obvious that the Original didn't want them to the get their hands on it, so it had to be important.

- Did he mention something, anything, about a book? - Inquired Stefan.

- No. - Elena replied.

Klaus had been careful. He didn't care whether the two vampires knew about the curse, about its details and properties. As long as they didn't know how to break it, the information was of no use. That book held all the answers, and apparently it was the only one that could be trusted.

- We have to get out of here. - Stefan muttered - Any ideas?

Stefan honestly believed that their only chance laid on Elijah.


	16. Care

Disclaimer: Guess what? I bet you'd never have thought of guessing this, especially not since this is labeled Disclaimer. I don't own The Vampire Diaries. Amazing, isn't it?

Chapter Sixteen- Care

* * *

><p><em>- We have to get out of here. - Stefan muttered - Any ideas?<em>

_Stefan honestly believed that their only chance laid on Elijah._

* * *

><p>- Nope. I suppose the only thing we can do is hope that we'll get an escape chance. - Elena told Stefan.<p>

The vampire sighed. Katherine was missing and his only chance of escape laid on a vampire that they had no reason to trust. The sole idea he had to escape was idiotic, but he thought it was worth a try. Stefan carefully approached the metal bars and touched them. A burning pain struck his hand as it made contact with the cold surface and he was forced to let go with a grunt.

- Vervain. - He muttered, just loud enough for Elena to hear.

- Are you okay? - She asked, the worry in her voice almost touching the vampire's heart.

Stefan had to remind himself that she didn't love him anymore, that she saw him as a friend, if much. She was his brother's girlfriend. The tables had turned, and he was in the position Damon had been. Only then could he appreciate what he had been through, seeing her with someone else, knowing that if she had to choose she wouldn't choose him. Apparently, Damon had been wrong. When confronted with a situation where she had to choose, she hadn't chosen her ex-boyfriend, who had come back for her. No, she chose the other Salvatore. But Stefan had Katherine, and he loved her. He would stick with her, no matter what. Eventually, he was sure that he would get over Elena. However, as he heard the worry in her voice, Stefan was starting to think that it would take much longer than he had first thought for him to finally let her go.

- I'm fine. The bars are covered in vervain.- He replied.

- Could you maybe break the walls? - Elena supplied, a hint of hope showing in her voice.

- No. I'm too weak right now to do that.

As he said that, he realized that they completely out of options. All what they could do was sit down and hope for the best, even if they didn't know what to hope for. It was highly unlikely that Elijah would show up at his brother's doorstep and sneak in right under his nose just to save them. Stefan let out a small groan of frustration. The curse would reveal itself in less than three days and they were stuck inside vervain covered cells, their chances of managing to stop the curse becoming smaller by the second.

- In case you're wondering, Damon did try to save me. I don't know what happened to him. The last time I saw him, he had a stake in his stomach. - Elena informed Stefan, her voice lowering on the last sentence.

- I wasn't. - He replied, doing his best to cover up the fact that he was both relieved and worried by the news.

Damon was taking care of Elena to the best of his ability, and that took a weigh out of Stefan's shoulders. He knew his brother, so he was perfectly aware that, in most cases, if it came down to his life and someone else's life, Damon would choose his life. Stefan had realized some time after he got to Mystic Falls that with Elena it was different, but he still worried. At the same time that he was happy for Damon's sacrifice, the thought of his brother incapacitated and in pain bothered him. He wanted to rescue him. The second he heard Elena say the words "stake in his stomach" his anger faded, and as it faded he had no excuse to not care for him, leaving him with no option but to feel.

He heard footsteps approaching the vicinities and his vampire instinct took over. Fangs elongated, he retreated to a corner. As the door creaked open, he could see who it was. Elijah.


	17. Elijah

Disclaimer: I think this speaks for itself, but just to be sure I'll write it down... Once again. I don't own The Vampire Diaries

Chapter Seventeen- Elijah

Luck finally seemed to be in their favor. Stefan stared at the Original standing in front of him with wide eyes, amazed by the sudden turn of events. Since their departure, they had hardly ever caught a break, but when they most needed it, they got it. Regaining his composure, he stepped forward and retracted his fangs.

- Elijah. - He acknowledged.

- Stefan. - The Original greeted. - Come on, we haven't got much time. I'll free Elena, go looking for your brother and Katherine. Here, have the keys.

Stefan nodded, picking up the package that was thrown at him. A rush of energy hit him as he remembered his new girlfriend and his brother and he sprinted away. The tunnels were a labyrinth. Many passages led to dead ends and the ceiling had collapsed in some places. Stefan wondered how could Klaus ever think that it was a good idea to keep someone he needed in a place that was falling apart. Katherine would most probably survive, but if one of those heavy rocks hit Elena's head, she would be dead before the Original could do anything to save her.

The only light in the musty tunnels was that of the torches. Not even in the places that had no ceiling could the sun be seen. Stefan's steps resonated through the emptiness of the dungeon, traveling through the passages. He tried to be more quiet, but making noise was inevitable, even for a vampire. He was glad that Klaus seemed to have more important things to do, since he could be found easily just be tracking down the sound of his steps.

In the distance, he heard someone calling his name. If it was Katherine or Elena, he wasn't sure. He didn't know to which direction he was heading anymore, not after all the turns he had been forced to take and all the times he realized he was walking in circles. He only hoped that Elijah had had better luck getting Elena to safety than he had had looking for the other vampires. He ran towards the shouts, ignoring the part of his mind that was telling him that that could very well be a trap.

- Stefan! - Katherine exclaimed, a smile appearing on her lips as she saw him approaching. - Quickly, he'll be back.

- Who? - Asked Stefan while he worked on finding the right key.

- Klaus, I think. I didn't actually see who it was.

Stefan could tell that Katherine was hiding something, but he was too busy looking for the key to think of a way to get her to tell him the information she was omitting. As he found it, he inserted it on the lock and turned it. The door creaked open, allowing Katherine to exit her confinement. For Stefan's great relief, she looked hungry, but otherwise unharmed.

- What is it? - The vampire asked Katherine, frowning.

- It's... It's Damon. The only way I know someone was here was because I heard Damon screaming. - She blurted out, lowering her head slightly as she spoke.

Another rush of energy hit the vampire as his brain processed the meaning of Katherine's words. Klaus had never liked Damon and he wouldn't hesitate to kill him. Following the faint smell of blood that he knew belonged to his brother, Stefan arrived at a small row of cells. As he searched them, Stefan could feel himself starting to panic. He was afraid that he was too late, that Klaus had already killed Damon. He relaxed slightly as he saw his brother lying in one of the corners, his body covered in bruises and blood. At least he wasn't dead. A small smile stretched across Stefan's face as he though about the fact that Damon had gone through all that pain just so Elena had a chance. For so long, he had believed that his brother was a monster, that he had no humanity left in him. He wasn't completely convinced that he was wrong until he saw that scene.


	18. Dungeons and Originals

Disclaimer: Come on! Why do I have to write this every time? Oh, yeah, so no one will sue me. Alright... I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Eighteen- Dungeons and Originals

Stefan searched the little bag frenetically, knowing that Klaus would soon check up on Damon. The second he found the key, he unlocked the door and hurried inside. As he approached the corner where his brother had taken refuge, his true state sinked in. The gashes all over his body were much bigger than he had initially thought and he was covered in vervain burns. Stefan felt tear start to form in his eyes as he saw his brother in that state, but he swallowed them back. He couldn't cry, not when he needed to help Damon.

He felt a movement in the air and glanced back. Katherine was standing behind him, her eyes fixed on the hurt vampire that laid before her. As Stefan looked at her, he saw something, a kind of emotion he hadn't expected to see. Sadness, worry and genuine hurt. After spending some time with her, Stefan had learned that she wasn't the feelingless monster he had pegged her to be, but he hadn't thought he would ever see all that emotions painted on her face at the same time.

A noise could be heard from the end of the corridor and Stefan was abruptly brought back to real life. They had to get Damon out of there fast if they wanted to make it out alive. Stefan ran to his brother's side and picked him up, being careful not to touch any of his wounds.

- Stefan... - Damon muttered, his eyelids fluttering open - I tried.

- I know you did. - He replied, a small smile appearing on his lips.

Damon's eyes closed once again, and Stefan knew that they wouldn't open until he received blood. He felt a movement behind him and he knew that Katherine had ran away. Clutching his brother closer in a protective gesture, he chased after her, not wanting to get lost in the tunnels, especially since he was carrying his wounded brother.

Footsteps seemed to be following him through the labyrinth of corridors, getting louder and louder. Stefan ran as fast as he could, but he was too slow to outrun his chaser. He could only hope that he would make it to the exit of that place before his follower caught up with him. He was glad to see that Katherine seemed to know her way around the dungeon. He didn't know how, but at the time he didn't care. He just wanted to run away from that place and get his brother to safety.

Stefan could see a spiral stair just a few feet ahead of them. He tried to make himself move faster, but he couldn't. His muscles were starting to burn and his craving for blood got stronger each step he gave. His whole body was screaming at him, telling him to stop, that he was pushing himself over his limit, but he refused to give in. Almost all the blockages he had put in his mind were gone, and so the only thing stoping him from saving his brother was his own vervain-induced weakness. He wouldn't let that make him fail.

The pursuer was almost catching up with him. Stefan knew that if he could keep up his speed he would make it to the door before his chaser could get to him, but his muscles were starting to crumble under the stress he was putting on them. He tried to think of a way to get some blood without having to stop, but the only thing he could think of was to have some of Damon's, which was flowing abundantly out of his wounds. He refused to drink his brother's blood, even when it was already out his body. He had no idea if there were going to be side effects and it just felt wrong to him.

A few rays of sunlight shone through the door. He was sure that it would lead them to freedom. As he tried to lunge it open, he found out that it was covered in vervain, like the cells. He picked the key bag from his pocket, his movements compromised by his load, and started searching through it, hearing as his pursuer got closer to catching him. He found the right key and shoved it in the lock, his hands trembling from fear and anxiety.

The chaser was just a few inches from grabbing them when Stefan threw his brother through the door and tried to make a run for it. He felt as heavy hands seized him and a syringe was inserted into one of his veins. His last thought before passing out was that at least his brother was safe.

He woke up feeling as though his veins were on fire. His body was slowly shutting down given to the lack of blood and he knew that if Klaus wasn't in a good mood he was likely to mummify and spend the rest of his existence trapped in his own body, being torturously driven mad by the pain. He forced his eyelids open, ignoring how heavy they felt. If he gave in to the vervain and to his body, he was never going to get out of there.

- Hello, Stefan. - Klaus greeted him, his voice cheerful.

- Elena and Katherine... - Each word came out with much strain, but he didn't need to go too far.

- Are gone, I know. But you don't think I don't have a plan B, do you? As we speak, not only do I have a group of guards, hybrid guards, chasing after them as I also have a sample of their blood. That's all I need, Stefan, their blood. Having them here was merely a precaution. Killing and draining them seemed unnecessary since they'll die from the curse. - Explained the Original.

Stefan allowed his eyelids to close once again. He had a plan, but for it work he had to save as much energy as he could. Klaus had deemed him to be too weak to move, but if he pushed himself a little bit more, he might just have enough strength to complete his plan.

- I have some more preparations to make for the ritual, so if you'll excuse me, I'll get back to it. - Klaus informed Stefan.

When he was sure that no one was coming, Stefan threw himself out of the table, regretting his move as he felt his arm break. With a suppressed groan of pain, he lifted himself off the floor, his knees almost giving out as he placed his weight on them. Stefan slowly stumbled through the room, looking for a place where he thought the blood samples could be. Knowing Klaus, he believed that the Original would prefer to keep such a crucial item close to him, and since he seemed to be working nearby, Stefan guessed that it should be around there. He finally found a cupboard. Lifting his working arm, he opened its door and strained his fading sight to manage to make out what was being stored inside. On the top shelves rested two vials full of blood.

With a shaking hand, he picked them up and prepared to smash them on them, hopefully smashing Klaus' chance of completing whatever ritual he needed to take advantage of the Petrova curse. But as he was about to let go, he realized that he didn't know how much blood he would need, and so the only way to be fairly sure that he wasn't going to be able to retrieve enough of it was to drink it. He didn't want to drink human or vampire blood. He craved for it, but he didn't want it. He hated what he became when he was high on blood, he hated how the monster in him revealed itself. But he needed to drink it. By doing so, not only was he making it considerably harder for Klaus to do what he wanted to as he was also giving himself a chance to escape. And so he turned the two vials into his mouth and swallowed the red liquid, trying not to enjoy its taste too much.

Relief washed over him as the pain all over his body lessened and his arm regained its mobility. As a spark of energy struck him, he was sure that he could make it out of the dungeon alive. He ran through the labyrinth of tunnels, trying to find a place that he recalled, but they all looked so alike that it was getting hard to track them. As Stefan saw the little cell where his brother had been kept prisoner, he smiled. He knew his way out from there.

He encountered no guards, not even when he opened the door to exit the dungeon. He was rather glad that he hadn't locked it, as he no longer carried the keys. He turned the doorknob, the vervain on it burning his hand, and stepped outside. It was late at night and the moon stood high in the sky. Stefan enjoyed the wind on his face for a second, not wanting the leave that place. It had a certain magic to it, a magic that couldn't be found in a city. Mystic Falls was only a few miles from them, but the little city was so quiet that not even a car horn could be heard from the hill. That, Stefan gathered, was peace. The feeling of power, yet not of greed, of silence, but not of loneliness and more importantly, not of happiness or sadness. It could only be found once in a human lifetime. That was Stefan's second, and he would probably only find again in a hundred years. He was frustrated by not having the opportunity to appreciate it completely, but he knew that he needed to get back to Elena, Damon, Elijah and most importantly, to Katherine.

Stefan tracked the group's scent down, his senses getting weaker as the blood he had fed on disappeared from his body. He knew that if he didn't find his traveling companions soon, he would be forced to stop and hunt something, human or animal, to be able to continue his journey.

In the distance, he could hear the voice of one of the dopplegangers. Stefan sped up, glad to finally catch up with the group. His hunger had been starting to take over, and he was almost sure that he would have no choice but to stop for the night and get something to drink.

- Stefan! - Katherine was the first one to realize that he was coming.

He looked at her, a smile forming on his tired features. He was feeling safe once again, and his tiredness was catching up with him. The blood he drank might have been enough to heal his broken arm, relieve a bit of the vervain-induced pain and quench his thirst for a while, but the soreness of his muscles and his sleepiness were still there.

However, he had time for Katherine. Stefan hadn't realized how much he missed her, how much he missed being alone with her like they had been before they decided to go after Klaus. He yearned for some time with Katherine, just the two of them, but he knew that he couldn't have it until they were done with their mission. But as she hugged him and stared up at his deep brown eyes, he couldn't help but bring his lips down to hers.

Stefan was faintly aware of all the gasps that could be heard. He didn't mind, and it didn't matter. He just wanted to enjoy his moment with Katherine, the one good moment he got in the last two days. Nothing could ruin it for him, not Klaus, not Elena, not Damon, nothing.

As they broke apart, a small smile appearing on Katherine's lips, Stefan turned his attention to the three people that had been watching him. Elena seemed to be the most shocked of all, but she was the first one to speak.

- Katherine and you are... - She started, her voice showing no emotion but surprise.

- Yes. - He replied, almost enjoying saying that to Elena after she had broken his heart.

The one thing on the scene that surprised him was the look on Elijah's face. He couldn't read it, and because he couldn't read it he knew that he was feeling something that he would rather hide. Stefan's best guess was that he did still care about Katherine.

The vampire couldn't wait to get some sleep, but as a strange noise was heard in the woods, he knew his troubles were far from over, even for that day.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Triple chapter! I honestly didn't mean it to be so big but... The story wants what the story wants, there's nothing I can do about it.<strong>


	19. Hybrids

Disclaimer: If I owned The Vampire Diaries, I wouldn't be here, wondering what happens next episode. As I am, I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Nineteen- Hybrids

Stefan looked around, his instincts taking over. For a second, his emotions switched off completely. He could feel no pain, he could feel no fear. But as the moment passed, his eyes widened. He was surprised the depth of the hatred he felt for his Ripper self. All what was good in his life, all what made it interesting, was gone, leaving him hollow and cold. For many vampires, that feeling was paradise, but not for him.

A blur moved in the forest, bringing Stefan back to reality. He knew what the stalkers were and why they were there. He only wasn't sure of how to get rid of them. He took a look around, trying to have an idea of how outnumbered they were. There were at least fifteen pursuers, and they were only five.

- Hybrids. Klaus sent them to capture you after you escaped. - Stefan murmured to Elena, though all the others could hear.

The stalkers were getting closer, surrounding them. With no means of escape, their only option was to fight. Stefan knew that they didn't stand a chance against the hybrids. Their only advantage over them was experience, as newborns often were naïve and easily surprised. But only that wouldn't be enough. If they wanted to live, they would have to come up with a better plan soon.

- Wolfsbane. - Katherine suggested. - Do any of you have wolfsbane?

All eyes turned to Elijah. He was the only who hadn't been cleaned of his belongings by Klaus. Stefan absentmindedly searched for his ring on his finger. He gasped as his thumb met nothing but his skin.

- The ring. - He whispered, his voice showing a bit of his fear and surprise - It's gone!

Damon brought his left hand up and stared at it, his eyes widening in surprise as he realized that he wasn't wearing the ring either. But both Salvatores knew that they could worry about that later. They had a group of hybrids to defeat.

- Well? - Katherine insisted, her eyes locked on Elijah.

- No, I don't have any wolfsbane with me. - He replied.

Stefan knew they would have no choice but to hope they got lucky. Though he knew it was a long shot, he thought that since the hybrids were very young and had little fighting experience, they could outsmart them. When the battle couldn't be won by strength, it was better to rely on brains. He stared at his opponents, who were already out of the forest, forcing Elena and the vampires to stand back to back. All he could see was instinct, the need to feed and kill. He saw in their eyes what he remembered seeing in his own when he was the Ripper. Coldness, cruelty, but above all else, bloodlust, the uncontrollable urge to feed until the prey dropped dead at the predator's feet. He knew that all those hybrids had once been people, maybe living amongst humans, leading a normal life until a full moon, or maybe living in isolated areas with their pack-members, but they were cruelly transformed into something else, something that was at the same time a gift and a curse. They could no longer understand their urges, like a vampire can't when that life is new, but they were being taught wrongly, they were learning to be Rippers, to act on their cravings, to embrace the beast within them and think of themselves as monsters. Stefan could easily read that in their eyes. It were the same things he had read on his for a long time.

He didn't want to kill them, but he knew that he was being confronted with a kill or be killed situation, and, in that case, it was better to kill. They had an important mission ahead of them, and they couldn't fail.

Now. - He muttered to the others.

All four vampires lunged forward, leaving only Elena standing in her place. She couldn't fight. She had neither the strength nor the weapon necessary to defeat a hybrid. Stefan wanted to quit the battle and save her, take her away from such a dangerous place, but he knew that he couldn't. Their odds were low enough without him deserting. All he could do was try his best at the struggle and hope that, once and if the fight was over, Elena wouldn't be one of the bodies laying on the ground. But as the image of Elena torn to pieces reached his mind, Stefan knew he couldn't keep on fighting. He felt himself walking away from the battle, his eyes locked on the girl dodging the fight, trying to stay out of it but being unable to make her way across the battlefield.

- Come on, Elena, I've got to get you out of here. - He told her, pushing the girl lightly on her shoulder.

- No, I have to stay. I have to fight with you. - Elena replied in a pleading, desperate tone.

Stefan was about to argue, but he was stopped once he saw Katherine engaged with one of the hybrids, losing miserably to the experienced fighter. He watched in shock as she was stabbed with a stake on her belly and doubled over in pain. Stefan tried to see who was the attacker, but he couldn't get a good look at his face. Whoever he was, he had much more experience in fighting than the other hybrids. Stefan was taken out of his thoughts as the stake was removed from Katherine and aimed at her heart. He ran towards the hybrid, desperately trying to think of a way to stop him, but he couldn't find a safe way to do so. He would have to either throw himself in front of the stake of try his luck with knocking the attacker down, thus taking the weapon out of its original course.

The stake seemed to slowly move towards Katherine's chest, making Stefan suffer each moment he lost. He felt an excruciating pain as the stake broke his flesh and punctured his lung. He had done it. He had saved Katherine's life. Stefan allowed himself to stay on the ground for a while, trying to gain enough strength to sit up and remove the stake from his body. However, as the blood flew out of his veins and arteries, his limbs started to feel like they weighted the world. A foot made him face upwards and he finally saw the attacker's face. Had he been able to gasp, he would have. Tyler. He wanted to say something, to ask him why, but every time he opened his mouth to speak a rush of blood came out. The hybrid bent down and took the stake out, causing Stefan to grunt in pain. Tyler raised the weapon and prepared to plunge it into his heart, but he was knocked down by something. Stefan allowed his head to roll to one side, wanting to see who had rescued him. He smiled as he saw his brother crouched in front of a headless body, a bloody dagger in his hand.

- Everything alright over there, brother? - Damon asked, his voice showing genuine concern.

Stefan tried to reply, but more blood spilled out of his mouth. He knew that he would soon pass out if he didn't get something to feed on. He had lost too much blood to be able to heal. He heard footsteps approaching, but he couldn't see what was coming. His sight was blurring once again.

- Stefan? - He heard Damon's voice calling him. - Oh, no.

Knowing that his brother would take care of him, Stefan allowed himself to rest. There was nothing he could do to help in the fight.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: This is my second fighting scene, but the first one to really show it... How did I do? Please, read and review! They are alway appreciated.<strong>

**Thanks for reviewing, Danielle. I loved reading the reviews! I promise you that there will be more Steferine!**


	20. For Me to Know and You to Find Out

Disclaimer: One day I think my finger will refuse to write this, but this day isn't today. I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Twenty- For Me to Know and You to Find Out

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><p><strong>Author's Note: For those of you who liked Tyler, I'm sorry. I just had to kill him, anything else sounded unnatural. I'm really, really sorry.<strong>

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><p>The bright light invaded Stefan's eyes through his closed eyelids. He groaned and forced them open, knowing that once he arrived on the waking world he would have to deal with all his problems once again. He was enjoying thoroughly not having to worry, being able to relax for a second, but he knew that he couldn't stay there for too long. Eventually, he would have to wake up to real world, a world where his supernatural problems never seemed to end.<p>

As he opened his eyes, he saw a face hovering over him. His sight adjusting to the lights in the room and he saw that it was Damon. He was smiling almost sweetly at him, like the brother he used to know, like the brother he was when they were human.

- Welcome to the waking world, Stefan. - Damon greeted him, his smile widening a little bit.

Stefan looked into his brother's eyes, trying to understand what had happened to the Damon he had grown used to in the 145 years he had lived as a vampire. He wasn't the cold, murderous and monster-like animal he had been. No, he was acting like the caring brother Stefan had looked up to during his childhood. He had missed that Damon. But as gazed into his eyes, he realized that his walls were up again. The moment had passed and he was once again the same vampire Stefan tried so hard to hate.

- What happened? - He asked Damon, his voice coming out raspy.

- I pulled you out of the fight, brought you here and fed you some blood. - Damon explained.

He was purposefully avoiding his question and Stefan knew it. He chuckled slightly at his brother's poor attempt at changing the subject and decided to insist, even though he knew that whatever information Damon gave him would have some parts cropped out. Something bad had happened, and Stefan fully intended to find out what it was, but he really needed some rest. He could deal with that once his chest wasn't burning in pain and his eyelids felt like they had lead in them.

- No, Damon. I meant what happened in the fight. Who won? Is anyone dead? - Stefan asked, his voice changing from an annoyed to a pleading tone as he spoke.

- We won. Elijah did most of the fighting, since Katherine and you were hurt and I had to get you out of the battle. No one died, though you did leave Elena standing in the middle of the fight. I had to come back for her too. - Damon explained, a wicked smile forming on the corner of his mouth as he saw his brother's face change from worried to horrified.

- Elena! I can't believe I forgot her there! I just saw Katherine and... - He was interrupted by a noise coming from the doorway.

Stefan turned around, taken out of his fit of self-hatred, and found himself facing Katherine. He was glad to see that her wound seemed to have healed perfectly. With a slight smile, he sat up on the bed. He wanted to get up and hug Katherine, make sure that she was really there, that he had actually succeeded in saving her, but he knew that if he tried to walk his wound would worsen, even though it was almost healed. All he needed were a couple more minutes, then he wouldn't have to worry about any injury, and would be able to fully enjoy his new girlfriend like he had wanted to for some time.

- Katherine! - He exclaimed, his grin growing bigger as he got more convinced that she was really there. - How's the wound?

- Healed. - She replied - Thanks.

Whether she was thanking him for saving her or just for asking, Stefan didn't know, but he didn't really care. All what mattered was that they were alive.

He laid back on the bed and allowed his muscles to relax on the soft mattress. He had really missed the feeling of being comfortable. As he thought about that, he realized that he had no idea where they were. With a bad feeling, Stefan asked the question, his gaze locked on Damon:

- Where are we?


	21. Lies

Disclaimer: Do you know what I just realized? I don't own The Vampire Diaries! What a shocker!

Chapter Twenty One- Lies

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><p><em>He laid back on the bed and allowed his muscles to relax on the soft mattress. He had really missed the feeling of being comfortable. As he thought about that, he realized that he had no idea where they were. With a bad feeling, Stefan asked the question, his gaze locked on Damon:<em>

_- Where are we?_

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><p>Alaric's. - Damon told his brother.<p>

Stefan raised an eyebrow, trying to tell the vampire that that wasn't enough without announcing it to everyone. Damon, however, continued to ignore him. Stefan shot a hopeful glance at Katherine, wondering if she knew what was going on. She just shrugged and nodded towards his brother, who was conveniently ignoring them.

- Damon, I'm going to need a little bit more than that. - Stefan announced.

- Fine. We are currently inside Alaric's spare bedroom. - Complemented Damon, a small smile playing on his lips.

- Damon!

The vampire started pacing around the room, his gaze never as much as wandering to his younger brother. Stefan knew the look he had on his face. Damon was worried, and whatever got him worried was something that they should all be wary of. Eventually, he stopped, an almost sullen expression on his face.

- Stefan... Mystic Falls has been attacked.. There are dozens of hybrids down there. Caroline found this shelter in the outskirts of the city and Ric led us here. I suppose Klaus wants to keep us away from there.- Damon explained, sitting beside his brother.

Just as Stefan opened his mouth to talk, to say that he had lied to him, to try and feel angry at his brother, Alaric came in. He watched as the history teacher made his way into the room and leaned against a wall. The vampire looked at him, his eyes full of questions his mouth couldn't form. He had no clue as to where to start, and the news had rendered him speechless. So many ideas had crossed his mind when Damon wouldn't tell him something, but he had never thought that it could be something like that.

- Bonnie? Matt? Jeremy? - He asked, his voice coming out as a mere whisper.

- We haven't received any news on them. - Alaric answered.

Stefan nodded, not knowing what to say. He was scared of his own feelings, the boiling rage that arose within him. He wanted to tear Klaus to pieces for what he had done, invading the town and possibly killing some of his friends. He knew better than that, but he couldn't help feeling angry. He glanced at Katherine, who was standing beside his bed, impatiently shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Had she died, Stefan concluded, he would be after Klaus with all his strength.

With a mumbled apology, Alaric excused himself. Stefan was glad to be alone with Damon and Katherine once again. He was good friends with the vampire hunter, but he didn't feel as comfortable with him as he did around the two single people he had left from his past. Locking his eyes on Damon, he asked the question that had been bothering him since he heard the news that Bonnie, Jeremy and Matt hadn't been heard from.

- How's Elena taking it?

Damon sighed, getting up from the bed, and started to pace around once again.

- She's taking it fine. A little bit too fine, actually. - He replied, his voice lowering to a murmur as he said the last part.

- Too fine? What do you mean? - Stefan asked, knowing exactly what was going to be the answer.

He had feared that something like that would happen for quite some time. Elena had lost too many people in a short period of time and it was only a matter of time before it happened. He had seen that same process with Damon and himself, though their transformation into vampires had accelerated it.

- She just... She's blocking it all out, Stefan. - Damon informed his brother.

Understanding her wasn't hard. She had lost her parents only a year before her life turned into a constant battle against the supernatural, then she lost her real parents, followed by Jenna's death. And to close with a golden key, he had gone away just when she needed him the most. Stefan didn't see how she could possibly stand three other losses.

- I'm not going to talk to her now, not while there's still a chance that they may be alive.- Damon continued - But if they aren't...

Stefan didn't reply. He knew he didn't need to to. Damon knew, after what had happened on the previous day, that he would be there for him, that the Stefan he knew wasn't gone.

- I'll just... Tag along. - Damon excused himself, throwing one glance at Katherine and Stefan and sending them a wink.

Katherine turned her attention to Stefan, smiling as she did so. He knew what she wanted, but he was still a little bit too worried about all what had just happened to give it to her. His mind was going over the facts, trying to understand everything. He knew that there was a big probability that the book was in Mystic Falls, but he didn't understand why Klaus would make it so obvious. His only explanation was that it was a decoy.

- Stefan. - His girlfriend called his attention, getting closer to him.

- Not now, Katherine. - He replied, looking away from her.

He felt himself being drawn to her, but he didn't want to allow himself to get distracted. Their hunt for the book was more important. But just seeing her through his lateral sight was enough to make it hard for him to concentrate. He watched as she walked closer and closer to him, her smile widening a little as she realized that he was looking at her.

- Come on, - She whispered to him, siting beside the vampire in the bed. - Just let go for a second. Try to forget all your problems. I promise it'll be worth it.

Stefan glanced at her, feeling himself getting eager to do what she wished. He didn't want to deal with all those issues he had to. He just wanted to be with Katherine all day long and forget about anything related to the supernatural world.

Before he knew it, he had leaned over and captured her lips into his. He felt his rage fade away as the world centralized on them. Nothing else had any importance. Not the sadness he felt for and over Elena, not the worry he had over the curse, nothing. He loved that feeling, but most of all, he loved Katherine, and being with her, especially after he thought she was going to die, was amazing. More amazing than he had thought possible.

As he kissed her, he realized that all what mattered was that she was with him.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: I hope you liked the way I introduced Alaric and Caroline, Danielle. I love your reviews, by the way!<strong>


	22. Caroline

Disclaimer: As you all know, I don't own The Vampire Diaries. Talk about stating the obvious...

Chapter Twenty Two- Caroline

Stefan lightly pushed Katherine away. Though he was really enjoying their kiss, he knew that they had more pressing matters to attend to. She stared into his green eyes, a smile playing on her lips. He wanted to continue kissing her, to forget about the whole world, but he knew he couldn't. As soon as they were done with the curse he would have her all for himself. At the moment, though, he had to keep his head clear and make it through the affair.

A noise came from downstairs and Stefan was suddenly reminded that there were other people in the house. He jumped up and made his way to what he supposed was the hall to investigate what was going on.

Caroline was in the kitchen, a plate held awkwardly in her hands. She blushed slightly as Stefan came into her sight. With a nervous laugh, she put the dish on the counter and looked at the vampire standing before her, though she quickly gave up on that and started staring at the floor, eventually risking a glance at Stefan.

- I suppose you heard that. - She stated, another nervous laugh escaping her lips.

- Yep. - Stefan replied, feeling almost as embarrassed as Caroline by the awkwardness of the situation.

- It's just that... Bonnie, Matt, Jeremy... Tyler... - The girl said, her voice coming out as a weak whisper.

- I know, Caroline, I know. We'll make it through this, okay? - He said, stepping closer to her.

He was stunned as he felt her arms wrap around him tightly. Recovering from the shock, he returned the hug. Stefan thought of all the lives that had been lost because of Klaus, of all the unnecessary bloodshed that had happened, all the people who the girl in his arms knew that had died on that day, and he hugged her. She needed someone to be there for her, and as Tyler was dead and Matt could very well have had the same fate, Stefan was willing to take up the roll. Hot tears stained his blouse, but he didn't care. When a friend was in distress, few things did.

The door opened and the vampires were forced to let go of each other. Elena was standing at the doorway, but she didn't seem to have even registered the scene, for she just barged in and started talking. But as soon as she looked at her friend and saw the tears running down her face, she stopped.

- Caroline, I'm sorry! - She said, pulling her into a hug.

- They're gone. - The vampire murmured.

- We'll find them. - Elena assured the crying girl.

- But Tyler... He's dead. I never had the chance to say I'm sorry. - Caroline hiccuped, more tears trailing down her cheeks.

- It'll be okay. Right now, though, we have to deal with the curse, alright?

The vampire nodded, trying to slow the waterfall of tears that ran down her face. Stefan looked at her, asking silently if she would be fine. Receiving an affirmative nod, he turned his attention to Elena.

- While you were out, I had the chance to go over what you discovered. My only suggestion is that we go back to Klaus' base.

- It isn't there, Elena. - A voice came from behind them.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Thanks for your reviews, Danielle! Did you like Caroline? I've only written about her twice...<strong>


	23. Rebekah

Disclaimer: The day I actually own The Vampire Diaries, you will know. Trust me. Anyway, for now and in the foreseeable future - a long time - I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Twenty Three- Rebekah

Standing on the doorway with a small smile on her face, was Rebekah. Stefan instinctively moved to shield Elena from the Original, not stopping to think about the reason of her presence there until he was sure that she wouldn't attack them.

- Why are you here? - Elena asked before Stefan could sort his thoughts out.

- Elijah woke me. He told me everything. I know about the curse, and I'm willing to help you with it. Take it or leave it, Elena. It's up to you. - Rebekah explained.

Stefan took his time analyzing her. He couldn't see any signs that she was lying, and in any case, they would have to take her up on her offer. She was their only hope of ever managing to stop Klaus, so even though he wasn't sure as to whether they could trust her or not, they had to accept her proposal.

- Fine. - Stefan said, cutting off Elena as she started to say something. - What can you tell us?

Knowing that Rebekah had more than enough reason to want Elena dead, as she had been the one to dagger her, Stefan grew wary when she didn't answer right away. She looked like she weighting her options carefully before she spoke:

- The book you are seeking, it isn't in the base. If I know my brother, it is in Mystic Falls. - She told them.

Stefan nodded, but he didn't fully believe the girl. He had the distinct feeling that she was sabotaging them, that Klaus had woken her up for that purpose. He didn't know the girl well enough to judge her, but from what he heard, Rebekah was really close to her brother and probably wouldn't hesitate on turning her back on them the minute he called her back.

He didn't want to leave Elena alone with the Original, but he really wanted to know Katherine's opinion on the situation and he trusted Caroline to take care of the human girl. With a sigh, he walked away. His mind was a complete mess. The Original's arrival could be the break he had been hoping for or it could be their downfall. He could only hope that Katherine would be able to help him. She knew Klaus better than anyone in that house, except, of course, for Rebekah.

- Katherine, we have a problem. - Stefan stated as he entered the room where he had been recovering.

- I heard a female voice downstairs, and it wasn't from anyone I know. - Katherine didn't bother asking the question implied in her statement.

- It's Rebekah, Klaus' sister. She's offering to help us.

- And you don't know if you can trust her. Well, I'd say that having around 36 hours to find the book and sabotage Klaus' plan, we have no option but to take her up on her offer.

With a short nod, Stefan sat on the bed. He didn't know how much more pressure he could handle. All his defenses against his own emotions were broken, and the flood had long started to invade his mind. He was repressing it, acting like nothing was bothering him, but with all the pressure placed upon him, it was getting harder and harder for him to keep a grip on himself. The only thing that kept him from completely breaking down was the thought that he couldn't fail Katherine. If he did, she would die, and he knew that a life without her, after all what they had gone through together, was no life at all.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry, Danielle, but I didn't manage to put Damon in this chapter. He will be on the next one, though, I promise.<strong>


	24. Better Plan

Disclaimer: I suppose you have a big surprise every chapter, right? Because you don't know that I don't own The Vampire Diaries! It's the only explanation as to why I have to write this every single chapter.

Chapter Twenty Four- Better Plan

Knowing that they had little time, Stefan jumped out of the bed. There was no time for him to wallow in his emotions. If he had managed to keep himself together until then, he would manage to do it for longer. He could feel them trying to break out of his mind, and succeeding on getting past the first barriers. He knew he could no longer repress them, but he had to do his best. If they came like an avalanche, he would break down.

Stefan signaled for Katherine to follow him and walked back to the kitchen. He knew they had leave as soon as possible. With only 36 hours on their hands, it would be surprising if they even managed to find the book.

- We have to leave. - Stefan announced to everyone.

A small nod towards the door from Damon told him that his brother still wasn't convinced. He left the room with a sigh of despair. If they were to argue every move, they would never be able to find the book they needed so much.

- Stefan, are you sure we should trust her? - Damon whispered to his brother.

- She's our only chance of ever finding the book! - Stefan replied in an equally low tone.

- She's an Original!

- Rebekah helped us before, Damon, why would she be lying now?

Their discussion was interrupted by a rather annoyed Elena.

- I'm ready. - She told them.

Giving Stefan a glare that clearly told his that their discussion wasn't over, Damon walked away. The younger Salvatore sat down on the living room's couch to wait for everyone else, and allowed his mind to drift away from the present into the future. He had no idea as to how they would deal with the hybrids that were populating Mystic Falls. The other fight, they had won by chance. This one wouldn't be so easy. They were hopelessly outnumbered. Their only chance would be to try and stay undetected.

When everyone was gathered in the room, Stefan told them what he was planning.

- First of all, we're all going to Mystic Falls. The city, as you know, is crawling with hybrids, but we'll have to take the chance. If we are attacked, we must protect Elena and Katherine.

As he spoke, he shivered inwardly at how cold he sounded. He wanted to keep the many emotions flooding his mind out of his voice, but he couldn't seem to get out of the extremes. Sometimes he was so close to breaking he could feel tears forming on his eyes, and sometimes he was so cold he scared himself.

- I have a better idea. - Stated Elijah.

He put a small box on the table, smirking. Stefan's hands grazed the surface, a twinkle of recognition shining in his eyes. He opened it to reveal several complicated engines.

- The Gilbert device. - He muttered.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Since this chapter was short, I might update twice tomorrow. I'm not making any promises, though.<strong>

**You'll soon know more about the plot, Danielle. Next chapter or the one after that.**


	25. The Book

Disclaimer: I have said this twenty five times before, on this fanfic, and I will say it again. I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Twenty Five- The Book

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><p><em>He put a small box on the table, smirking. Stefan's hands grazed the surface, a twinkle of recognition shining in his eyes. He opened it to reveal several complicated engines.<em>

_- The Gilbert device. - He muttered._

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><p>Stefan turned the device over on his hand, examining every inch of the apparatus. He couldn't believe he was seeing it again, after the terrible experience he and Damon had had with it. But as he thought about it, he remembered a comment John had made about it. It could only be used once.<p>

- But it only works once, right? - He questioned, his fingers still grazing the box's surface. - Then the spell wears off.

- I had a witch re-enchant it. - Elijah explained, a small smile forming on his lips.

With a short nod, Stefan put the device back on the table and closed its lid. He knew that it would come in handy, since the hybrids would most probably be affected by the device as well, but that didn't keep him from feeling uneasy about using it.

Elijah put a packet of earplugs beside the box. Stefan nodded, knowing very well what the earplugs' use would be. He could only hope that it would actually work, otherwise they were as good as dead, unless the device's effects lasted longer on hybrids. With a short sigh, he opened the package and gave each vampire a pair of plugs. As he put his own on, he was surprised by its quality. He couldn't hear the movements in the room or anything else, for that matter. The world became completely silent. Stefan had forgotten what it felt like to be able to hear his own thoughts. As a human, all he had to do was to distance himself from his house and soon he couldn't hear one single noise. During winter, not even the insects dared break the silence. But after he became a vampire, everything changed. The world revealed itself to be a cacophony of different sounds, and they were everywhere. With time, he adapted, but it was nice to remember the sensation of utter silence.

He nodded towards the door and, in a matter of seconds, the whole group was in Mystic Falls. They knew they couldn't risk running and attracting attention, so Damon put Elena on the floor and they marched towards the most protected place, the Town Square. Stefan believed that, if Klaus was trying to protect his secrets by hiding them in heavily guarded places, it made sense that he would put more security around that which he was attempting to protect.

They hid in the shadows, trying to sneak through darker alleys and use house's doors as means to cross a block, but soon they found that Mystic Falls was too small of a city for that to actually conceal them, so they were forced to play their luck and try to get to a building close to the Town Square undetected. They couldn't hear the hybrids approaching, which put them in a disadvantage, but going slowly and carefully, they managed to make their to the busy streets that surrounded the Square. A small house had been hastily constructed on the its centre, making it the perfect place to hide important things. Stefan could only hope he was right to assume it was there. They didn't have enough time to come up with another plan and put it to action before it was too late.

Closing his eyes and readying himself for the splitting headache, Stefan opened the little box and turned the top engine. He sighed in relief as he didn't feel any knives stabbing his head, but the hybrids fell to the ground, covering their ears as well as they could, apparently shrieking in pain.

Stefan signalized for the others to wait for him as he ran into the little house, grimacing when he felt as though it was going to fall apart on his head. He searched his surroundings, scanning the building's insides quickly, until his eyes fell on a leather bound book and a couple of parchment pages lying on a shelve. He grabbed them and hurried back to the group, waving the objects over his head to show them that they had succeeded. Katherine peeked over his shoulder eagerly as he arrived, her excitation and worry showing clearly on her movements. He allowed a smile to form on his lips and nodded towards the hills, trying to tell her that they should get out of there before the spell wore off and the hybrids started to seek their revenge.

Safe and sound on the hidden house, Stefan took off his earplugs and turned his attention back to the anxious group. He sorted out the book's pages before setting them on the table and gesturing for Katherine to translate the bulgarian for them.

_The Petrova Curse_

_As the Petrova line became more and more powerful, with many strong vampires and witches of great wisdom, the Council, an organization that had as purpose keeping the supernatural world from becoming unbalanced or being discovered by humans, felt that it was necessary to put a curse to limit their power, similar to the Sun and Moon curse._

_However, the Council had a rule they were forced to follow. Punishments could not be permanent. And thus they were forced to put a deadline to the spell, a deadline that would enable the Petrova bloodline to be as powerful as it once was, trusting that the centuries had taught them a lesson. After the second doppleganger reached maturity, the curse would wear off and an explosion of energy would happen at the girl's hometown as a signal of her newfound power._

_But as time passed, the witches found a flaw on their plan. Such energy would be absorbed by the Petrova's blood, making it easy to harvested by opportunists. Each drop of the liquid would contain enough power for it to be replicated. Not only that as, if the doppleganger was killed, the power would come out of her and seek another host. If there happened to be another source of the Petrova blood, it would seek it out. The power would be passed on from generation to generation as well, of course, but it would become more incorporated to the person through the years, making the initial explosion the best time for it to be harvested._

_Knowing that if knowledge of such opportunity leaked out to the supernatural community, which the Council knew that would happen sooner or later, they created a way of keeping that from happening, a counter spell. However, for it to work, the doppleganger will have to be bled to death. The origin of the blood, since the witches were well aware of the amount of magical creatures in the Petrova bloodline, is not important. Vampire and witch blood, as well as human blood, can be used on the counter spell. Once there is enough of the liquid to fill four medium pitchers, it is necessary to add something personal from the doppleganger, such as an article of clothing or even a strand of hair. Lastly, the mixture must be enchanted. The spell that has to be used by the witch is not know, as the grimoire of the old witches, the ones who cast the curse, is the only place that contains such information. It is possible, though, that it was passed on to her closest circle. However, researchers and alchemists have sought it out and failed to find any evidence of it._

_The counter spell would not keep the energy from being absorbed by the doppleganger's blood, however, once it left her body, it would degrade and, in a matter of seconds, cease to exist. If the power's host is human, its adherence might be weaker, making it easier for it to detach if it feels the presence of more energy nearby. That being the case, it is recommended that the counter spell be cast with most care, as the power will not return to the Petrova's body._

- That's all? - Stefan asked, irritated.

- Yes. - Katherine replied, her expression unreadable.

They remained in silence for quite a while. Everyone had expected the book to contain all the answers they needed, but not even the author of the text knew the words to the spell. Stefan could almost feel the tension and frustration in the air.

- Bonnie's grimoire... Do you think it might be there? The counter spell? - Elena asked, frowning.

- Maybe. She kept it in her room, right? - Stefan replied.

- Yes. We have to go back to Mystic Falls.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Instead of writing two normal chapters, I decided to write a big one.<strong>

**There you go, secret revealed. I hope you liked my idea! Please review and tell me what you thought of it!**


	26. Hard Choice

Disclaimer: Yet another chapter goes by and I still don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Twenty Six- Hard Choice

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><p><strong>Author's Note: By Danielle's request - a giant thank you for the review, by the way - this chapter is from Katherine's point of view. I hope you like it! It's my first attempt at writing her so closely.<strong>

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><p>Katherine knew that time was running out, but when it was suggested that they took a break, she gladly agreed. The trip to Mystic Falls had exhausted everyone given their nervousness, and so they needed to rest for a while before they were up for another adventure.<p>

As it was settled that they would get some time to clear their heads and catch some sleep, Stefan made his way to the room he had adopted as his, the one where he had woken up after the first fight against the hybrids, Katherine's eyes glued on him. She knew exactly what she wanted to do for her break.

She followed him, a small smile starting to spread on her lips, masking the confusion she was experiencing. Her mind was a complete mess. She could feel herself angry and frustrated that they didn't get all the information that they needed, but at the same time she couldn't feel something that had been there for a while, ever since she had started to pursue that curse alongside with Stefan. She gasped silently as she realized what it was. Her humanity.

Working with the younger Salvatore had brought out a side of her she hadn't seen much of ever since 1864, the year she had gone to Mystic Falls and first met the brothers. She hated it that she actually enjoyed having her humanity back. Katherine hadn't realized how much it meant to her until she couldn't feel it in her mind anymore, until the place that once occupied by a mess of joy, happiness, sadness and guilt became just a shelve of meaningless memories.

She tried to think that that was what she did, she had a few good days and then turned her emotions off, but she found herself wondering if that couldn't be why every chance she got at a good, settled down life ended up slipping through her fingers. Katherine didn't know if she wanted all that guilt and ethic codes back. She was afraid of the consequences, of how it would change her way of perceiving the world. If humanity was a vampire's greatest weakness, she couldn't see why she would want it back.

Regardless, though, it was screaming at her to be allowed back where it once stood, where it really belonged. She looked at Stefan, who was sitting on his bed, his eyes cast downwards, staring at the floor, and she decided that she would go back to her crisis later. Someone needed some cheering up, and she was more than willing to do the job.

She plopped herself beside him, her eyes trying to catch his wandering gaze, but failing. With a long sigh, she passed her arm around his waist and caressed his back.

- Come on, let's do something to distract you. - She suggested, a smirk starting to show on her lips.

Not receiving an answer, she leaned in to kiss him and was startled as he moved away. She bent in closer, her eyes gazing up at him, trying to read his features. Never had Stefan refused a kiss from her, not while they actually were in a relationship. She was certain that something was wrong, that something was bothering him.

- What is it, Stefan? - She asked him, her tone softer than the one she normally used.

- It's just... Klaus is coming after you and if we don't manage to stop him, he is going to kill you. This is not like last time, Katherine. He has no reason to keep you alive. You're of better use to him dead. - He sighed, a hint of tears appearing in his eyes - I don't think I can lose you again.

It took Katherine a minute to manage to understand what he was saying. He couldn't lose her again. She smiled at the thought that Stefan had actually missed her, that things hadn't happened quite like he had told her and made sure to show everyone when he had the chance. She had charmed him, she had made him fall in love with her. One thing she had never told him was that no compulsion was necessary for him to be head over heels about her. She only compelled him to drink her blood. She never dared mention that in fear that he would tell her that he hadn't loved her even in his human life. She was sure that she would have believed him. In her experience, Damon had always been more passionate and more devoted than his younger brother. Katherine, though, preferred Stefan's romantic and courteous behavior. But then again, it was easier to fool someone by acting like Stefan than by acting like Damon. She was only glad that she knew that he had always loved her.

- Stefan, just try to relax for a while, okay? - She requested, her voice still sweet - We'll go back to that in a minute. Meanwhile, I'll help you find a way to forget about all your problems.

Katherine smiled widely as he turned around and their lips met. She had waited for a chance like that for so long she couldn't count the years. She supposed she had started missing him, the way he made her feel, they way his touch felt on her skin, the way his presence made her happier, the very day they parted ways. That fateful day when the vampires were rounded up to be killed, the day she was taken away from Stefan and never returned.

As they broke apart, Katherine couldn't help but notice that there was something different about the way Stefan looked. His eyes seemed to be shining brighter and she could see a small smile forming on his lips. She almost grinned as she realized that she had actually made him forget, even for a second, all the problems that awaited him.

- Are you quite done there yet? You know, we have a world to save, but I'm sure it could wait. - A voice came from the doorway, a voice Katherine knew very well.

She turned around and found herself facing Damon, his trademark smirk showing on his mouth. Katherine was about to open her mouth to argue when she was interrupted by Stefan.

- We'll be with you in a second. - The younger Salvatore informed his brother, barely even looking at him.

A blur in the edge of Katherine's sight indicated that the vampire was gone. She stared into Stefan's deep brown eyes, feeling as though she could get lost in them. Part of her hated herself for allowing such a weakness to show, but the other part missed that feeling. That side of her was the more human one, the one that still remembered the days when she was a young bulgarian girl carrying an illegitimate child, sure that everything would be fine even though she rationally knew it wouldn't. And that side knew that with love came hurt, but it also knew that there was more than just hurt to such a relationship. There was a happiness beyond what she could get by any other means. That part of her was more than willing to risk it.

- Katherine? - Stefan called her, a hint of worry showing in his voice.

- Yes? - She replied, shaking herself out of her thoughts, happy to have been interrupted.

- Is everything okay? I've been calling you for five minutes!

- It's okay, I was just... thinking. - Replied Katherine, trying to keep her edginess out of her tone.

- We've got to go. Damon'll come up here soon to call us again.

As they walked back to the living room, Katherine forced herself to return to her normal self. She could make her choice regarding Stefan when she didn't have to interact with people. Her softer side was for Stefan and Stefan only.


	27. Concern

Disclaimer: If I owned The Vampire Diaries, I would know what happened in today's episode. But I don't own it, so I don't know what happened yet.

Chapter Twenty Seven- Concern

They didn't have a plan, but they also didn't have the necessary time to think their actions through. Their well earned break put them down to 30 hours left before their deadline. They had to act impulsively if they wanted to succeed.

Stefan gathered everyone in the living room once again to discuss what they would do, just for the sake of formalities. He was really uneasy with the idea of walking into enemy territory with nothing but a goal and hope. Plans had always been his area of expertise, and he even when he was the Ripper he planned before he acted. Impulsivity was Damon's area, not his.

A small smile appearing on his lips, Stefan shot his brother a furtive glance, telling him that he was up. Nothing could have made him happier than to throw that at his brother. He didn't know what to say, what could be planned, what couldn't be planned, but, most of all, he didn't know how he could just stand in front of people he knew very well and say that they were signing in for their deaths.

With no idea of what was coming, their survival chances were low. Stefan knew that, and he was slowly becoming more aware of the truth he was trying so desperately to hide. He didn't have what it took to stare at people's faces, his friends' faces, and tell them that they were doing it for the greater good. He knew he had to carry on the mission, but every time he thought of the most possible outcome his eyes welled up with tears and he had to look away to keep everyone from seeing it. Almost everyone. He couldn't hide from his brother, the person he had lived with for his entire human life and the person who had promised to give him an eternity of misery.

- Alright, so this is what we'll do. - Damon announced, the smirk he usually wore falling off his face as he stared at the small group in front of him - We'll hope. We have no way of knowing anything, and we don't have time to plan. All we can do is hope. It's dangerous, but it's necessary. - He stopped for a second, his eyes locked on Elena - And we'll do it thinking of everyone we have to save.

He walked away from the tiny audience. Stefan was staring at him, astonished by his brother's speech. He had never expected him to say something so profound and meaningful in front of so many people. A spark of jealousy arose within him as he remembered the way Damon was looking at Elena while he said the last phrase, but when Katherine's hand grazed his, any and all worries related to his ex-girlfriend were erased from his mind. He knew that she was safe as long as she was with his brother, and he had other people to worry about. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Damon would never let anything hurt her. He would die before any harm came to her.

- Brother? - Stefan heard the older Salvatore call.

In a second, he joined his brother in the small garden that the building hosted.

- Yes? - He replied.

- I'll take care of this mission. - Damon announced.

- What? Are you out of your mind? - Stefan growled, clenching his fists.

- You can't deal with missions like this. You have to have everything planned! - Shouted the older Salvatore.

- I do just fine.

- No, you don't! You almost get yourself killed! You have to try to be the hero and then I have to rescue you! - An edge of desperation could be heard on Damon's voice.

- Damon... Are you worried about me? - Stefan asked, frowning.

- What if I am?

Their discussion was interrupted by a worried looking Caroline. She blushed slightly and stepped away from the arguing brothers.

- I think we should probably... - Stefan started, but cut himself short once his brother nodded.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: If any of you want me to make a chapter in the POV of another character, just tell me in a review or PM me. I'd be more than willing to vary a little.<strong>


	28. Mandatory Invitation

Disclaimer: There would definitely have had some Delena in this last episode if I owned The Vampire Diaries. As I don't, there were only a few mentions of their kiss.

Chapter Twenty Eight- Mandatory Invitation

As they returned to the living room, Damon didn't even look at his brother. He hated all the feelings' exploration that Stefan liked to do, especially when it came down to the their relationship. Though he would never admit it, he had gotten bored of his promise of an eternity of misery. But he could never let his brother know, he could never show how much he cared. And every time Stefan started to try and dig through his mind, Damon feared that he would be exposed, that he would no longer be able to hide how much he cared.

He glanced at Elena, a smile coming to his somber face. He locked his eyes on her, thinking of the long quest they had ahead of them. If they failed, he would never get to see her again, he would never get kiss her soft lips, nor would her ever just sit beside her and talk. He knew he couldn't fail, because if he failed and the one person he had dared to love in over a century was taken from him, his heart would break beyond repair.

As he looked away from her, his eye caught sight of Stefan and Katherine, their hands shyly grazing. He knew his brother really loved her, and somehow he actually believed that she loved him. She seemed different with him, more like the girl Damon remembered from 1864. Neither him not his brother could stand any more pain. If they didn't succeed in defeating Klaus and the latter didn't kill them, they would end up destroying themselves and any good they had within them.

Feeling everyone's eyes on him, he shook himself out of his thoughts and gave an affirmative nod to the group. They were ready to go grimoire-hunting, or at least as ready as they would ever be. Leaving Alaric behind so he could protect the house, the group sprinted out the door towards the little town.

They ran down the streets of western Mystic Falls, splitting up in a desperate attempt to confuse the hybrids, but all going in the same direction. Bonnie's house. Damon had only been running for a few minutes, but was already panting and his muscles were starting to overheat. Elena felt heavier in his arms by the second, and he feared that he would drop her. Hugging the girl tighter against his chest and repressing a smile as she buried her head into his shoulder, he tried to speed up. The hybrids were getting closer to him. He could hear their ragged breaths as they raced after him, their feet hitting the asphalt, their pace quickening. There was nothing he could do but try to be faster than them.

The house was right in front of them. Safety was only a few steps away. With that thought, Damon lunged towards the doorknob, almost laughing in happiness as he found it to be unlocked. The more things between him and the rabid hybrids outside the house, the better. It could buy them a few seconds. He ran inside, leaving the door wide open for Caroline, Elijah and Stefan.

- Someone has been here today. - Damon muttered under his breath, smelling the blood in the air.

- Then how come you can be in here? You haven't been invited in! - Asked Elena.

- I have. The real problem is that Elijah hasn't.

Damon watched as his brother ran into the house, followed closely by Caroline. Making a fast evaluation, he decided that, apart from a few scratches, they were both in perfect condition. But as Elijah tried to cross the doorway, he was forced to step back outside as he started to suffocate. The Original gave them an angry glare.

- The owner of the house is supposed to be dead! - Elijah shouted, looking over his shoulder at the approaching hybrids.

- It looks like she isn't. - Replied Damon.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: The next chapter will be in Caroline's POV. I hope you liked Damon's!<strong>


	29. Bonnie

Disclaimer: If you're looking for someone who owns The Vampire Diaries, you're looking on the wrong place, because I don't own it. Yep, that's right, I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Twenty Nine- Bonnie

Caroline stared at the trapped vampire, but her brain was barely registering the scene. All she could think of was that Bonnie was alive. They didn't know if she was safe, but they knew she was alive. The vampire needed to find her friend, she needed to be sure that she was safe. But as she saw the horde of hybrids approaching the house and the slightly panicked look on Elijah's face, she decided that they couldn't risk going outside.

- Elijah, run back to the house, we'll fend for ourselves. - Stefan commanded, the confidence in his voice almost fooling her into believing that they would manage to get out of there alive.

Not bothering to respond, the vampire sped away. Caroline sighed, feeling more exposed without the Original around, but safer somehow. She glanced at the others, trying to lead them to Bonnie's bedroom. The faster they got out of the house, the faster they would go and find her missing friend. She smiled as she saw Damon clutching Elena close to his chest, glaring at the hybrids with an angry look, as if trying to tell them that no one would harm his girlfriend and get away with it easily. She wasn't Damon's number one fan but, after seeing his devotion to Elena, she had to admit that they were a great couple.

- Come on, we have to get the grimoire. - She called the small group, making her way to Bonnie's room.

As they started to make their way upstairs, Caroline glanced at the newest couple. They were walking less than an inch apart, meaningful looks being exchanged. She had to admit that they both seemed happy, but she was very uneasy about them. She was still clinging to the thought that maybe Stefan and Elena could get back together. Even though she didn't disapprove of the latter being with Damon, she was very wary of him after what he had done to her when she dating him.

She continued to climb up the stairs, her mind set on getting the grimoire so that they could somehow run out of the house and search for Bonnie.

As they got the room, they were met with an unexpected sight. Siting on her bed, the large spell book open on her lap, was the witch. She smiled as she saw the group standing on the doorway, their mouths falling to the floor. Caroline couldn't believe that her friend was right there, in the most obvious place, safe and sound from the hybrids. As it sinked in that she had Bonnie back, she ran towards her, her smile reaching her eyes in a way it hadn't for quite a while.

- Bonnie! I can't believe you're here! - She exclaimed, laughing out in happiness as she tried not to crush the witch's spine.

- Caroline, you're suffocating me. - Bonnie gasped out.

The vampire let go, still smiling maniacally. Seeing her friend alive and well had woken up hope within her, hope that Matt and Jeremy might be alive. She knew that they had no proof, nothing to go on, and thus it was better for them to try and complete the counter spell before going to look for the boys, but she hoped that maybe they could go searching for them, that they would find a clue leading them to Matt and Jeremy.

- I didn't hear you when I came in. - Stefan stated, regaining his composure.

- It's a spell I learned. It masks my vital signs from any supernatural being. - Bonnie explained - I was reading through this and I found something interesting. Do you know The Petrova Curse?

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><p><strong>Author's Note: If you want any more differents points of view, just ask. The next chapter will be in Elena's, I think.<strong>

**I forgot to thank you guys for the awesome reviews I got. Well, thank you very, very much!**


	30. The Spell

Disclaimer: I shall pointlessly declare again that I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Thirty- The Spell

All the happiness that had awakened within Elena when she saw her best friend alive and well was replaced by shock as she heard those words coming from Bonnie's mouth. She couldn't believe that they might have actually found the spell they needed to keep Klaus from using the curse for his own advantage. Shacking herself out her shock, Elena walked over to the bed and read the page.

- The Petrova Curse... - She muttered under her breath - _Quod omnis potentia intra Petrova defluxerunt._

- What is it, Elena? What does it mean? - Bonnie asked her friend.

- It's what we've been looking for. Come on, we have to get out of here. I'll explain everything once we're safe. - Elena whirled around only to find Stefan and Katherine busy with something else.

Katherine was snuggled into Stefan's arms, her hands caressing his arm lightly. She smiled as she saw Elena's incredulous face. The human doppleganger couldn't believe the nerve of the two vampires, romancing each other while they were desperately trying to find a way to put an end to Klaus's plan. She hated it that Stefan had moved on to Katherine. She thought he could have so much better, he could find a girl that actually cared about him, who hadn't hurt him in the past. But most of all, she hated it that Katherine looked just like her. It made her very uneasy. Elena wanted Stefan to have a new girlfriend, she wanted him to move on, but she wanted him to be with someone who loved him, and she was sure that Katherine was unable of love.

With a big sigh, Elena motioned for the vampires and Bonnie to follow her. She knew that the house was surrounded, so they would have to take their chances with jumping out a window and running. She was about to tell them to jump when Bonnie spoke up:

- Elena, hang on! I know a spell that may just drive the hybrids away.

- What will it do? - Questioned Elena.

- It'll have the same effect as the Gilbert device, but only werewolves can hear it. I think that since they have werewolf blood it will work on them too. - Explained the witch.

- Cast it.

A few latin words later, the hybrids started to move away, their hands gripping their ears tightly. Elena felt strong arms gripping her from behind, hugging her waist, and a well known voice murmured in her ear:

- It worked.

- Damon, not now! - She playfully scolded the vampire.

With a small groan, he let go of her. She smiled. She had only been dating Damon for a couple of days, but she was already loving it. He made her feel things that Stefan had never managed to. She still had feelings for the latter, but Damon was the one she loved the most, her perfect match.

- We better go before the hybrids return. - Elena remarked.

Before she could even register what was going on, she was lifted off the ground and the world became a blur. Elena allowed her body to relax into Damon's arms, knowing that he would rather die than let her go.

They came to a sudden stop and, as she took in her surroundings, Elena knew something was wrong.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Thirty chapters :)<strong>

**Thanks for all the reviews! I hope Elena's point of view was good. If you guys don't have any more requests, I'll keep alternating between Stefan, Caroline, Elena and Damon's point of view, depending on what works better with the chapter.**


	31. Death Comes Even to Vampires

Disclaimer: I like this chapter, so if I owned The Vampire Diaries I think I'd make an episode with a scene like this. But since I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I have no way of doing so.

Death Comes Even to Vampires

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><p><strong>Author's Note: I owe you guys a big, huge, gigantic apology for not updating yesterday. I had internet problems... As a compensation, though, I thought I'd make this chapter especially Steferine! I hope you enjoy it! It's kind of sad, but...<strong>

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><p>Stefan stared in shock at the scene in front of him. Several hybrids surrounded them, covering every inch of space they could ever use as a escape, but on top of all, Klaus was standing right in front of them, a wicked smile on his face and something on his arms. As he looked more carefully, Stefan realized that he was carrying Elijah, who had a dagger stuck in his heart.<p>

Great, you're all there. Saves me a trip. - Klaus looked at his hybrids and commanded - Get them.

Having no idea as to how they would escape, Stefan believed that the only thing they could do was to fight once again, even though that time they were even more outnumbered. Not only that as, without Elijah, they couldn't even beat the hybrids, much less an Original. Hope and determination were they only allies.

Stefan allowed his fangs to elongate and his senses to heighten to their maximum reach in a desperate attempt to have a small edge on his adversaries. But he knew that it was pointless. Hybrids' hearing was much better than vampires' hearing, and that was the sense that counted the most. However, he knew that every little thing mattered.

His muscles tensed up as he watched the hybrids run towards them. He stared at them, his eyes wide open and any hope he ever had started to wither away. There was no way he would ever be able to beat them, especially not without Damon, who he knew would be putting all his time and effort on protecting Elena.

However, as he watched Katherine fighting off several attackers and being brought to the ground, a surge of energy overcame him. He felt better than he could remember ever feeling. He ran to his girlfriend, pushing away all hybrids that stood on his path with ease, and started to help her. But even his enhanced strength couldn't make him win that fight. He felt several bones on his body shatter, but he couldn't stop. He had to help her, to save her, even if that cost him his life.

Suddenly, all the hybrids, even Klaus, fell to their knees, covering their ears with their hands and screaming in agony. Stefan didn't even stop to question what was going on. He just ran to Katherine's side and crouched beside her, wincing as he saw a particularly nasty bite.

- Are you okay? - He asked her, though he knew the answer very well.

- I've been better. - She groaned in reply.

- I'm sorry, I should have been more careful, I should have come to your aid sooner. - He apologized, a tear running down his cheek.

Katherine closed her eyes in pain and whispered:

- Stefan, no. No apologies. If this is the last thing I'll ever hear from you I don't want it to be an apology.

- I love you. - He told her - If you have to die today, then I want this to be the last thing you hear. I love you.

She opened her eyes, a small smile appearing on her face, and, squeezing Stefan's hand, whispered:

- I love you too.

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><p><strong><em>Spoiler Alert! For my story, not for the TV show.<em>**

**And Once Again... An Author's Note!: Sorry for excess of them today. Anyway, I just wanted to thank Danielle for her review and tell you guys that this ISN'T THE LAST CHAPTER! It's not even the last Steferine chapter! You'll understand tomorrow. Or maybe you already did.**


	32. Blood

Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries. I didn't own The Vampire Diaries. I won't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Thirty Two- Blood

Katherine wanted to convulse in pain, to try and find a more comfortable position, but she couldn't move. All she had energy for was to speak and squeeze Stefan's hand slightly in reassurance. She couldn't believe the words she had just said. She had gone against her nature to say them, but they felt so true. Katherine tried to take that off her mind and concentrate in enjoying every second she had left of life, of Stefan, even with the burning pain spreading throughout her body.

She gazed up at Stefan, trying to discern him from the background. Her sight was getting blurry and the tears of pain that inevitably rolled out of her eyes weren't making it any easier for her to see. Katherine was glad that no one was paying attention to them. She wanted to be alone with Stefan in her last minutes, with the only person she dared trust and the only person around whom she felt comfortable.

A commotion was going on behind Stefan, but neither one of them payed any attention to it. Katherine knew that her boyfriend was afraid that if looked away he would miss her final living seconds and, though she didn't want to admit it, she was afraid that if she looked away she would die with the wrong image imprinted on her retina.

She heard someone approaching her and the next thing she knew there was something being poured down her throat. Could she still move, she would have flinched away. The mere touch of the glass on her lips was enough to augment the pain. But as she tasted the liquid, she mentally sighed in relief. Klaus' blood, the only known cure for a werewolf bite.

Her sight started to clear in a matter of seconds and the pain lessened almost immediately. She sat up, feeling her whole body healing with the help of the hybrid's blood. Katherine glanced around, trying to understand the situation. Almost everyone was fallen on the ground in positions that suggested great pain. The only ones standing were the vampires, Elena and Bonnie. As her head turned to the other side, she saw the person who had given her the cure. Rebekah.

- Katherine. - Acknowledged the Original.

- What happened? Where were you all this time?- Stefan asked.

- After I gave you my little tip, I ran back to Klaus. I didn't want him to suspect anything. But he killed me, saying that waking me up had been a mistake. Elijah revived me, but he got dagger-ed for it. Not before I could run off, though. Foreseeing this, he left me some instructions and items that could be useful. This little box - She took a wooden box, very similar to the Gilbert device, out of her pocket - was enchanted to emit a sound that would knock out any werewolf with ten miles of it. It uses the same concept as the device you know, only it was improved upon.

Katherine stared blankly at the Original, surprised that Elijah would make such a sacrifice. Whatever power Klaus would get from the curse, it was bound to be a lot.

- I suppose we should revive him, then. - She sighed, making her way to the fallen Original.

Taking one last glance at Elijah's limp body, she pulled out the dagger and motioned for Rebekah to carry him. They had no time to waste babysitting a vampire until he came back to life. Each second they lost was precious and unrecoverable. They had to use them wisely.

Speeding up the hill towards the shelter, Katherine thought about Stefan and the effects her near death experience had had on their relationship. She had told him she loved him, and this time she was sure she would have a proper relationship with him.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry for not doing the deathbed scene you suggested, Danielle, but a hybrid's bite kills too fast, I had to save her soon. I'll try to write something like that in another chapter. I had already planned a similar scene that will take place next chapter or the one after that, though, so I think you'll get the bonding you asked for. I think it'd be interesting too. I love those kinds of scenes.<strong>


	33. The Beginning of the Spell

Disclaimer: I bet you guys thought I owned The Vampire Diaries! Well, I don't.

The Beginning of the Spell

Glad to be safe and in one piece, Elena entered the house. She tried not to think about it, but thoughts of what could go wrong in their plan kept popping on her mind. She was afraid that the counter spell wouldn't work, that the notes had been wrong about something. However, she knew that there was no time to have doubts. They had to get everything done as soon as possible.

With a sigh of tiredness and worry, she motioned for Katherine to reread that notes and tell the what to do. She knew the instructions were pretty simple, but she didn't want to get anything wrong. They might not have time to try twice.

Damon, go grab a scissor, we'll need to cut a bit of Elena's hair. Then we need blood. - Elena shivered at the last part. She knew a sacrifice was necessary, but that didn't mean she liked it. - So I think you should grab a knife too. Oh, and we'll need pitchers. I think you'll just have to pick a bowl that looks like it could fit 4 pitchers of blood.

By the look in Katherine's eyes, Elena understood it all. She had thought that they would have to use her, as she was the doppleganger from the curse, but as she thought about it, she realized that there was no mention as to whether it had to be her blood of just any Petrova's. And so they would drain Katherine, since the vampire would heal instead of dying from the lack of blood.

She gave the doppleganger a thankful look and she could have sworn that she saw a small smile form on her lips before Damon walked back into the room, bringing her attention back to the world. He had in his hands a kid sized pair of scissors and a very big and sharp knife inside a huge bowl. Elena could see in his eyes that it hurt him to think of doing what they would have to do to Katherine, even knowing that it was the best way. She felt a jolt of jealousy as she thought that Damon would always be fond of Katherine, even if he hated her. They had too much past to be ignored, and it would be hard for him to lose all the care he had for the girl he spent 145 years chasing after.

Alright, leave the scissors on the table and give the knife to Stefan. - She commanded Damon.

In any other situation, Elena was sure that her boyfriend would have complained, but Katherine's slightly more shaky side made them all uneasy. If she was so nervous, then they had more than enough reason to be freaking out.

Elena watched as Katherine calmed herself, pulled her hair back into a pony tail so that it wouldn't make collecting the blood harder, and said the words it was clear she didn't want to say, but which everyone knew that were absolutely necessary.

Do it. - She whispered.

Stefan hesitated slightly before cutting his girlfriend's throat open, allowing blood to flow easily out of her arteries and veins into the bowl Damon had chosen. She gasped as the liquid started to invade her lungs, making it impossible for her to breathe. Sure, vampires didn't have to breathe, but it was natural for them, and as Katherine inhaled more and more blood, her panic increased.

Finally, after they were forced to hold her in place so that they could collect what they needed from her to finish the counter spell, she passed out. Elena waited for her to wake up beside her bed, knowing that, though she hated Katherine, she owed her her life.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: SORRY! I tried to post this yesterday but Fanfiction didn't let me! There was some sort of internal error that didn't allow documents to be converted! Sorry!<strong>

**Anyway, I'll have the next chapter up tonight or very early tomorrow (like 2am or something, which is the same as tonight, if you ask me).**

**Thanks for the reviews!**


	34. Near Death

Disclaimer: Just in case there was an epidemic of memory loss, I shall refresh your memory: I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Thirty Four- Near Death

Katherine cracked her eyelids open, still feeling a little dizzy from the loss of blood. She sighed as she saw her doppleganger sitting beside her bed, wondering what kind of speech she would have to hear. She waited to see if Elena had noticed that she was awake, but as she caught a glance at the girl's faraway eyes, she realized that she could lay there forever and the doppleganger still wouldn't see that she had recovered. With a sigh, she decided that it was better to get that out of her mind than to procrastinate the inevitable.

- Elena. - She murmured, surprised to find that her throat still wasn't fully healed.

- You're awake! - The human girl exclaimed, startled by Katherine's words. She stared at her for quite some time before she muttered- Thanks for what you did back there.

- It wasn't for you. - The vampire told her - Klaus can't get more powerful.

Katherine watched as Elena shifted uncomfortably on her seat. What she had told her wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. She wasn't even sure what the whole truth was. Granted, she couldn't allow Klaus to become even more powerful, but she could very well have let Elena be the sacrifice. It sure would have saved her a lot of pain. But something about the thought of the human girl dying made her very uneasy. In a way, the doppleganger was her family. She was the only descendant of her bloodline which she knew of, her only connection to the child she had lost,and she couldn't let her die, even if that meant that she would have to have a significant amount of blood drained from her. She knew that there was no way Elena ever even knew her baby, but all her instincts, her human instincts, told her to keep her alive, and for the once, she actually heard them.

- I'm going to get you a blood bag. - The doppleganger announced, jumping from her seat.

Not even bothering to wait for Katherine's reply, Elena exited the room.

The vampire could only wonder what was going on inside her head. She wished that she could understand why she cared about Elena, why she had to overcome so many natural reflexes and instincts to harm the girl, directly or indirectly. But she didn't know, she didn't even have the slightest idea. All she knew was that she could never let Elena know that.

- Bonnie and the others are getting ready to start, but they want to wait for you. - The doppleganger's voice brought Katherine back to reality.

- I'll be downstairs in a few minutes. - The vampire replied - Did you get that blood bag?

- Yes. - Elena threw it to Katherine, sighing - I think Damon told me you liked A positive, so I got it for you.

Katherine nodded in reply, but she wasn't sure what she was agreeing to. She smiled as she felt the blood touching her tongue, the metallic taste that she had come to associate with pleasure and satisfaction spreading in her mouth and going down her throat, speeding up the healing process. She could feel Elena's eyes on her, but for the moment, she didn't mind. However, as she finished the blood bag and the pain and dizziness started to lessen, she started paying much more attention to her company.

- I really meant what I said earlier. - Elena told her - It doesn't mean that I have forgiven you for what you did, but I really am grateful.

- You're welcome. - Katherine replied.

"It's a start" The vampire thought "A baby step, but a step nonetheless"

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><p><strong>Author's Note: And here it is, the next chapter in the <span>very<span> early morning, as promised. I was thinking about making the next chapter about Katherine's relationship with Damon or with someone else (Caroline, Bonnie or Stefan. Any other suggestion are accepted and even encouraged, though). Or I could just go back to the main plot. Please review or PM telling me what you prefer!**

**And thanks for the reviews!**


	35. Resisting Old Habits

Disclaimer: Must I spell it out? I D O N ' T O W N T H E V A M P I R E D I A R I E S. Wow, that was harder to write than I thought it would be. Anyway, I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Thirty Five- Resisting Old Habits

Stefan climbed up the steps, his hands shaking out of emotional stress. He couldn't believe what he had done, he couldn't believe that he had actually managed to slit Katherine's throat and hold her down as she tried to run away, her instinct taking over her mind. The scene kept replaying itself in his mind, torturing him, wearing him down.

He rested on the railing, wanting nothing more than to tear one of the metals bars and stick it in his brain to stop the images. Stefan knew he had to calm down, but it didn't matter how hard he tried, his hands kept shaking and his mind continued to be a complete mess of horror and guilt. He knew that Katherine had been the one who asked him to do it, but he still felt that he had been the one who caused her so much pain, he had been the one to drain her of so much blood that she would have died had she not been a vampire. Once again, his feelings weren't listening to logic. He wasn't surprised. They never did.

As the images of Katherine crying out in pain replayed themselves, Stefan remembered why he had liked it so much when he couldn't feel anything. It was so much easier to keep his cool while other people fretted, to do terrible things and not feel any remorse over it. But he would get through it, he would emerge victorious, he wouldn't desert the fight.

He looked at the half open door that led to Katherine's room and found himself face-to-face with Elena. She gave him a shy smile and informed:

- She's still recovering. Don't make her talk too much, her throat isn't good yet. - And with those words, she walked away.

Stefan walked into the room, barely being able to glance at Katherine. He knew what he would see. She should be much paler than the usual and still sport a thin white line where the knife had slit her throat open. Where he had slit her throat open.

- Stefan, I know what you're thinking. - Katherine murmured, forcing her voice to come out louder and wincing almost unnoticeably. - It wasn't your fault. I asked you to do it. I wanted you to do it. I knew how painful it was going to be, but I wanted to do it anyway.

- Don't strain yourself! - Scolded Stefan, not bearing to see her in any more pain. - I... I know it wasn't my fault Katherine, but it doesn't make me feel any less guilty.

- I've been through worse. - She muttered. - And I lived. I'm healing already, Stefan. It hurt, and now it's almost over.

With a short nod, Stefan pulled himself a chair beside her bed and just sat there, admiring her, how different she was from Elena, yet how alike they were. It was something he hadn't had time to think about ever since their rush for the finish line started, and he found that thought somehow relaxing. Every time it came to his mind he remembered the Veritas Estate, all the sunny afternoons he had spent with Katherine, just fooling around and having fun, but at the same time he remembering Elena, the day they had met at the cemetery, which was both one of the best of his life and one of the worse. He knew that he had signed up for a long and torturous chapter the minute he looked down at Elena's eyes and felt a connection forming between them, but he also couldn't forget all the happy days that followed that one, even if there were terrible times between them.

As he looked at Katherine, he no longer saw only evil like he had for a long time after he became a vampire. No, he saw vulnerability and love, all tainted with a little bit of betrayal and a touch of thirst for revenge.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Steferine chapter! Okay, I have an idea about Emily, but I'm at a loss about Lucy... I'll figure something out, though. As to Damon and Caroline, I was thinking about either fitting them in next chapter or making the next chapter more about the plot, I'm not sure. Suggestions and opinions are strongly encouraged!<strong>

**Thanks for the reviews!**


	36. Same Old Katherine

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Thirty Six- Same Old Katherine

Damon knocked on the door that led to Katherine's room. He knew she was talking to his brother, but it had been over ten minutes since he heard any chatter coming from there, and he was starting to get worried. Stefan opened the door and nodded for him to come in. Damon complied, eyeing his brother suspiciously.

Katherine was sitting on her bed, the wound on her neck completely healed. She smiled slightly as she saw Damon coming in and gestured for Stefan to leave. As the door closed behind him, she turned her attention to her new guest.

- Damon. - She said, her voice finally clear. - I didn't think you would come.

- I wasn't going to. - He replied. - But I got worried when the room went silent.

Katherine nodded drily. Damon knew she didn't believe him, and he didn't believe himself. While he was downstairs, most of his thoughts were occupied by the vampire laying on a bed, healing from a horrible wound. He would have gone to visit her if he hadn't remembered the hurt look on Elena's face when she noticed that he was bothered by the idea of Katherine donating the blood they needed for the counter spell. He couldn't bear to be the reason why she was hurt.

- I'll just head back downstairs. - He told her.

He hoped that she would tell him to stop, but he knew that not only was it foolish to have such hope as he shouldn't be thinking that. He was Elena's. He really didn't love Katherine, he wasn't even attracted to her anymore, but a part of him was still clinging to the person he was when he was human, the person who truly believed that Katherine was good, that she was the right woman for him.

- Wait! - She called as he reached for the handle. - Thanks... Thanks for coming to see me.

- You're welcome. - He answered coldly.

Coldly because as he saw her once again, as he really saw her once again, paying attention to every difference that made her Katherine, not Elena, he remembered how she hurt him, how even after 145 years, after he had spent all his vampire life looking her for her, she still had the nerves to say that it had always been Stefan.

- Damon... I'm sorry. - She told him, looking deeply into his eyes, trying to show him that she meant it. - I did love you. I think you should know that.

- It's a little late for "I'm sorry"s, don't you think. - And with those words, he walked out of the room, slamming the door as he left.

He couldn't believe that after all the opportunities she had had for apologizing she chose exactly the time when he was happily dating Elena. Damon would never leave her, but there was always a part of him that was tempted to follow her like a puppy. But he loved Elena, and it would always be Elena, even if she didn't turn and died. He would always love her more than he could possibly show her.

- How is she? - Stefan asked, taking Damon out of his thoughts.

- Same old Katherine. - He replied with a smirk.


	37. Coming Back

Disclaimer: Never owned it, never will.

Chapter Thirty Seven- Coming Back

Katherine climbed down the stairs, her mind still on the short conversation she had had with Damon. It had been a mistake for her to think that he was still the same person as he used to be, someone who would run back to her if she whistled. He wouldn't, both because he had learned better and because he had Elena. But she didn't want him to go running back to her. She just wanted to right her wrongs because soon there might be no more time. Katherine knew the risks of such powerful spells. The slightest mistake could destroy Virginia. There was no room for approximations and guesses, but as the book's recipe didn't specify several things, they had no choice but to do so. The only thing she could really do to help was to hope that didn't know how risky it was and conceal that fact from them for as long as possible. There was no room for nervousness either.

She sighed as she thought that she would most probably die and never be able to tell Damon that she really regretted her words that day so long ago. If she said that again that day, she would probably mean them more than she did when she actually spoke them, but still they weren't entirely truthful. She loved Damon even if she didn't want to. Stefan, though, was the one she loved the most and the one she wanted to date. But saying that she didn't love his brother would be a complete lie, and she knew it. It was one she had told and one she might never get the chance to unmask.

As she got to the ground floor, she took a deep breath. It was time to see whether luck was on their side or not. It had been changing sides very often, but that was the ultimate test.

- Bonnie, it's time. - She instructed the witch as she joined the others on the ground.

- _Quod omnis potentia intra Petrova defluxerunt._ - The girl chanted.

Some time passed and nothing happened. Katherine didn't know whether to be relieved or worried. The spell could have worked, but it could also have had no effect. They had no way of knowing until it was too late.

- Did it work? - Elena asked anxiously.

- I don't know. - Replied Bonnie. - I didn't feel anything, but that could be nothing.

- So we wait? - The human doppleganger sighed.

- We wait.

Katherine got up and made her way to the kitchen. Bonnie might not have felt anything, but she most certainly had. Some sort of coldness spreading through the house, a kind of feeling that she didn't often feel, but that when she did, she knew that it was sign of trouble, a bad omen. Her thoughts started drifting, becoming more human as she started to despair. Katherine wished Emily was there. She always seemed to know what to do, what kind of spell to use in each occasion, everything she could possibly need. She would probably know something about the curse.

She could feel someone was staring at her, but she didn't move. Instead, she continued to lean into the counter, trying to keep the suspicious and hunter-like glint from showing on her eyes. But as whoever was stalking her didn't give up, Katherine lunged for her newest prey, only to find that she couldn't touch it. Forcing herself back to normal, she looked at her stalker. She was sure she knew her, but something was throwing her off. But as she caught up, she gasped, running to the kitchen's wall, too curious to actually leave.

- Emily!- She exclaimed.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry for not thanking my reviewers last chapter! I was in a hurry, so I didn't have time to type an author's note.<strong>

**Anyway, thank you guys for your amazing reviews!**


	38. Emily

Disclaimer: Not mine.

- I'm not here for you, Katherine. - Emily said, her voice as cold as ice. - I'm here for Bonnie and Elena.

- How... How are you here? - The vampire asked. - You died.

- Yes, because I protected you. - Emily gave Katherine a cold glare.

- You owed it to me.

Katherine allowed silence to dawn in so she could think properly. She needed the witch's help, but she didn't want to work with her, not when she knew that they wouldn't be able to stop annoying one another. She understood that Emily was angry at her for getting her killed, but she had saved her life. It was only fair that the witch died saving hers. Nevertheless, she had more wrongs to right. But all in good time.

- How can I be talking to you? - The vampire insisted.

- You were thinking about me and I was trying to contact you. That's how it works. - Emily explained. - But I can't speak to Elena, Bonnie or Alaric. Only to you, Damon, Stefan and Caroline.

Katherine nodded. She would probably have to be the vessel. She knew she should say something, apologize for getting her killed or at least acknowledge her sacrifice, but the words just wouldn't come out. She had to say something to let Emily know that she wanted her help, that she was a little sad when she found out about the witch's death, but to admit such a thing would be to take one more step into humanity, and she didn't want to do that. It was just too much for her.

But she knew that she had no choice. The game she was playing had similar rules to kill or be killed. Katherine would have to make a sacrifice, and she would rather sacrifice her coldness than her life.

- Emily... I'm... I just want you to know that... - She tried, hating herself for looking so weak and human in front of the witch. - I can't believe I'm saying this but... I didn't want you to die and I'm... thankful for it.

Emily stared at Katherine, her expression changing from surprised to amused. The vampire couldn't even guess what was going on in the deceased Bennett's mind.

- I believe you. - The witch finally said. - But my helping didn't depend on that. I won't let Bonnie die because I hold a grudge against you.

Giving Emily an angry glare, Katherine nodded. She hated it that she had told the witch all that without it being absolutely necessary. She had taken a giant leap towards humanity only to find that she hadn't needed to.

- Now we're going to the living room. - Emily stated, a small grin showing on her lips.

Katherine led her to the living room, wondering what would everyone's reaction be when they found out that she could talk to dead people. She sighed. If the world's fate, and therefore her fate, didn't lie on her being Emily's vessel, she would probably have refused the job.

- Emily is going to help us. - Katherine stated, rolling her eyes in annoyance at the thought of all the work she would have.


	39. Guidance

Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries, but I would very much like to.

Chapter Thirty Nine- Guidance

- Emily? - Elena asked, her eyes widening with surprise.

The witch was definitely what they needed to solve the problem they might be having, but she felt as though that was too much to be mere luck. Another thing that was bothering her was how it was possible for her to be talking to Katherine. Jeremy and Matt had been able to see ghosts after they came back from the dead, but that was different. There had been a spell for them to do such thing.

- Yes, Elena, Emily. - Katherine agreed, her mood worse than the usual. - Now do you want to hear what she has to say or not?

- Just could you please ask her how she can be here? - The human doppelgänger asked.

- She said that it's some sort of spell that allows her to talk to people who already died. It's similar to the spell that witch did some time ago. Wait! - The vampire exclaimed - You had ghost trouble here?

- What did we do wrong? - Elena asked, ignoring Katherine.

She felt her stomach turn as she asked the question, not only of anxiety but of fear too. She had a feeling she knew what had gone wrong, but she hoped she was wrong. If she was right, she wouldn't live to see another day.

- First you tell me what the ghost trouble was. - The vampire insisted, her eyes narrowing at Elena.

- Katherine, please, this is important. Not only for me as for you too. - The human doppelgänger half-begged her, despair almost completely clear in her brave eyes.

- Fine. Emily says that there has to be a sacrifice. Human or not, it doesn't matter, but it can't be animal. - Katherine explained.

It was as Elena had feared. She thought something like that would have to happen, since most powerful rituals involved a sacrifice. She had no idea how they would get around it. If they couldn't find a way to cheat that, she would be willing to do it.

- No, no, no, Elena, I know that face. You are not sacrificing yourself. - Damon said, his hand gripping his girlfriend's arm strongly.

- Damon, if I have to, I will. - She assured him.

- We'll catch a hybrid or something. I'll get myself staked before you sacrifice yourself, Elena. - The vampire whispered softly, staring into Elena's eyes.

She nodded, trying not to let him see how much it hurt her to think of him dying. She hated not being able to choose what she would die for, but she knew that Damon cared too much about her to let her do something like that. Elena was sure that he meant what he had said. He would do anything to keep her from getting herself killed, anything.

- What are we going to do? - Alaric asked, staring suspiciously at Katherine.

All eyes fell on Katherine, who sighed before her eyes focused a little bit more, showing that she was paying attention to something. Some time passed before she finally told the room what they were supposed to do.

- Get yourselves a sacrifice.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry about last chapter's formatting, I didn't have time to change it. And sorry about not fact-checking too. I usually do, but I really didn't have time yesterday. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and any suggestions are welcome. Oh, and who do you guys want to be the sacrifice?<strong>


	40. Coming to Senses

Disclaimer: The person typing this doesn't own The Vampire Diaries. The person who wrote this whole story, who is now typing this, doesn't either. Conclusion, I don't won The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Forty- Coming to Senses

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><p><strong>Author's Note: I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry for not updating for so long. This time I don't really have an excuse, nothing but the fact I was roleplaying, got carried away and ended up playing until very late, too late for me to have time to update. I'm really sorry! I know this chapter isn't extra-big like I said it would be, but I wanted to change POVs and I didn't want to do so in the middle of the chapter. Tomorrow's might be big, though. Might, I'm not sure about it yet.<strong>

**I'm sorry for not updating so regularly, but it will still take some time until I can go back to my daily updating routine. It's a long story, and it doesn't have anything to do with the roleplaying. Sorry, I will try to update every time I can.**

**Oh, and thanks for the reviews!**

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><p>Damon was slightly taken aback by Katherine's words. He had expected a solution to exist, but it seemed like there was no way around it. There had to be a sacrifice. He jumped up, not wanting to waste any time.<p>

Well, then let's go. I'm sure it won't be hard to find someone to sacrifice. - Damon said, gesturing for everyone to follow him.

- Damon! - Elena scolded him with a horrified face. - We can't just pick random humans off the street and kill them!

- We don't have time for ethics, Elena! - He argued, looking at the other for support,

No one answered, as they seemed to be pondering his words. Damon knew that, in the end, they would all have to agree with him. They didn't have time to find someone who was willing to die, or who was already dying. Their deadline just kept getting closer and closer. Eventually, it would be upon them, and if they decided to be ethical people, they wouldn't be ready.

He sighed as time passed and no one moved. Damon pulled himself a chair and sat on it, waiting for someone to say something. He thought that Katherine would have manifested herself, but he supposed that she wanted to be a little more distant as she had Emily speaking in her ear.

- Yeah... We don't have a lot time. - Alaric said, breaking the silence.

- But Alaric, we can't just kill someone like that! - Elena continued to protest, but Damon could see that she didn't believe in it as much as she did before.

He shot the others a hopeful glance, wondering if they were starting to see some sense. They couldn't stay deluded forever. Eventually, they had to see the logic in his plan. It was there, staring at them, but they couldn't see it. They couldn't see it because their brains couldn't process the idea of just randomly choosing someone to kill. He had done that everyday for a long time, so he was used to it, but the others didn't have that kind of experience.

- You know he's right. - Katherine finally said. - There is no time.

- Yes but... Killing someone like that is just wrong. - She insisted, stubbornly.

Soon, Caroline started nodding, a grieving expression on her face. Damon smiled slightly. That left only Bonnie, Elena and Stefan. He was sure that Stefan would come around, and Bonnie probably would too. When she did, Elena would probably give in. She was slowly seeing sense, Damon could tell.

- Elena, I'm sorry but Damon is right. We can't let Klaus win and time is almost up. - Stefan said, throwing a worried glance at Katherine.

This time, Elena didn't say anything. Damon knew he was almost giving up on being ethical. Only Bonnie was still thinking. He looked at the witch, trying to read her expression. All he could tell was that she was angry and concerned. He was getting worried. If Bonnie said that they couldn't do it, Elena was sure to go along.

- He's right. - The witch said, nodding ever so slightly - If Emily says we should do it, it's because it's the only way. You know how witches are, Elena.

- Fine, Bonnie, let's go. - The human doppelganger said, crossing her arms over her chest.


End file.
